The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "FOOLISH MOXIE" for Tuesday, 28 June 2016 with Scripture: Luke 12:22 To his talmidim Yeshua said, “Because of this I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Think about the ravens! They neither plant nor harvest, they have neither storerooms nor barns, yet God feeds them. You are worth much more than the birds! 25 Can any of you by worrying add an hour to his life? 26 If you can’t do a little thing like that, why worry about the rest? 27 Think about the wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread; yet, I tell you, not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 28 If this is how God clothes grass, which is alive in the field today and thrown in the oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you! What little trust you have!
29 “In other words, don’t strive after what you will eat and what you will drink — don’t be anxious. 30 For all the pagan nations in the world set their hearts on these things. Your Father knows that you need them too. 31 Rather, seek his Kingdom; and these things will be given to you as well.
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Humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up in the last day. Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you.[1 Peter 5:6-7 (CEB)]
Every week I walk with a friend and Moxie — her medium-sized dog. Recently we saw a pair of big, black dogs approaching, and foolishly Moxie decided to take them on. My friend and the other dog owners managed to keep them apart, but I kept thinking that those dogs could have eaten Moxie for breakfast and looked around for more. A smart dog her size would have quietly put her owner between herself and the threat and hoped for the best.
During our walk, I had told my friend about a serious health challenge my husband is facing and how stressed I am with trying to work out all the details of finances and scheduling and travel involved in one possible treatment. My wonderful friend began praying for me right then and there. Her promptness in bringing these needs before God reminded me that I have been spending more time fretting than asking God for what we need.
I realized later that Moxie and I have more in common than I’d like to admit. When stressful circumstances approach, I am too prone to rush at them, barking and snarling, heedless of how inadequate my own strength is. What I should be doing is putting the One who can handle anything in between me and my problems through prayer.
Read more from the author, here.
"A Day of Atonement"
Last week I was studying the Day of Atonement. I’ve never thought much about this day; it’s buried in Leviticus and Numbers, two books I tend to skim until I get to the interesting narrative bits. I didn’t think the Day of Atonement would have much meaning for a Christian once one realizes that atonement has been made permanently. I usually pause to be grateful that Jesus freed us from our sin forever, then move on.
As I was dutifully answering questions about the details of sacrifices, however, I came to a question with answers unavoidably applicable to me. The Day of Atonement is mentioned twice in Leviticus and once in Numbers. In each place, tucked amidst the many details for the priests, are directions for the people. They were told repeatedly to humble themselves and to rest; someone who failed to honor this day properly would be cut off from the people and destroyed. The Jews could not atone for themselves; they were dependent on the high priest to do it for them. However, while the sacrifices were being made on their behalf, they were not to go about their daily business as usual. They were also not to celebrate, in contrast to several holy days for feasting. In order to benefit from the atonement being made for them, they had to be quiet and humble for the day.
Jesus’ sacrifice has already been made, but for it to make a difference in my life, I have to humble myself to admit I need it. Once I have done that, I can’t add anything to the price paid for me. It's tempting to think that we must earn our way to some version of heaven. It's easier for most people to take their chances on failure than admit their helplessness. It's also tempting to spend more time talking about what faithful Christians must do than about what has been done for them.
Maybe I should celebrate a personal day of atonement, when I stop to be grateful for what Christ did, when I stay quiet and reflect on what I am doing for Christ and why. I should be serving in my home and church and community, but if I find myself feeling that things would fall apart without me, something may be wrong with either my commitments or my attitude in keeping them. If the idea of taking a whole day to rest seems impossible, perhaps my obligations or expectations need to be trimmed. Christ is the only one who could free me from sin and the only one who can free me from self-imposed martyrdom. Being humble and quiet helps me embrace this freedom.[Jennifer Aaron, Check out Jennifer's blog at http://myreallifeandyours.blogspot.com/]
The Author: Jennifer Aaron (Washington, USA)
Thought for the Day: My worrying is useless, but prayer is powerful.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for the prayers of family and friends. Help me to choose daily to pray instead of worrying. Amen.
Prayer focus: FAMILIES DEALING WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS
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