Worry?

How many of us spend the day worrying about problems instead of enjoying the day? There is a song sung by Bobby McFerrin entitled, “Don’t worry, be happy”. We should be singing this song when we are faced with a problem to help us cheer up.
But what does the Bible says about worrying? In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus reminds his disciples people are more valuable than birds of the air and lilies in the fields. He then asked them this question, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” or, in other words, can all your worries add a single moment to your life? The reality is that no amount of worrying can lengthen your life or add anything to your physical person. Instead, worrying robs you of sleep, health and many good years. In fact, it is only when you are worry-free that God’s anointing flows freely in you, strengthening, healing, restoring and adding to you.

John 14:27 declares that Jesus has given us peace beyond the world’s so-called peace. We can choose to live in peace. It will be a struggle to have a restful mind but Jesus ask us to guard our hearts and he will take care of what’s outside. When the devil stole our peace in the Garden of Eden, Jesus came and restored it back in full by dying on the cross. Jeff A. Benner defines peace in the Hebrew language this way: “When we hear the word peace we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or strife but, the Hebrew meaning of the word shalom has a very different meaning. The verb form of the root word is shalam and is usually used in the context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness or with no deficiency. The common phrase shalu shalom yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) is not speaking about an absence of war (though that is part of it) but that Jerusalem (and by extension all of Israel) is complete and whole and goes far beyond the idea of peace”. Therefore peace means wholeness or feeling complete.
We must learn to let go and trust God in our situations. But how do we let go? Focusing on other things can make you lose interest in that problem. For example, if you have worries on finances then perhaps do something else that does not involve you in spending money, like playing football with the kids or going for a walk. If you have friends talk openly about your problems and you will have comfort from one another. Reading the Bible will also help but avoid reading Bibles that are complicated to understand like King James Bibles with “thy” words.
Worrying just gives the devil a chance to pursue other things in our life. We can easily believe his lies and think that he has power over us. But when we choose not to worry, we are putting our faith in God. It shows that we have more confidence in God’s love and power working in us than in the devil’s ability to harm us. When we refuse to worry, but choose to rest in the finished work of Christ, we will see the manifestation of our blessing.

Proverbs 24:3-6
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled, with all precious and pleasant riches.
A wise man is strong, yes a man of knowledge increases strength; For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

East Coast Park - Singapore

Took the pictures this morning. It's a beautiful day here in Singapore. The beach is so beautiful!

A few years ago, I dreamt of seeing a lion roaring among a group of people, but the people were not afraid of it; however, the lion continued looking for something that I could not work out. I then woke up from the dream, and was reminded of a scripture in 1 Peter 5:8. It states “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
This scripture is interesting as the lion is roaring and seeking whom he may devour, yet the devil cannot just walk up to you and snatch away your peace, joy, health and happiness. He is roaring to instil fear in the life of people who are not sure who they are in Christ; step by step, he brings all sorts of discouragement until they feel unable to continue, and then he will devour them.
But some people are not intimidated because they know who the true Lion of Judah is - Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5) - who has already come and overcome the devil, taking back the power of death. The Bible further declares in Hebrews 2:14 that: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood (the body of Jesus Christ and his blood, referring to the partaking of Holy Communion). He himself likewise shared in the same that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”
If you know the Lord, be encouraged that the devil won’t devour you because you are God’s child and He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (i.e. the devil)(John 4:4). Since the Lion of Judah resides in you, He has given you rights, authority and power; he bought you back with His blood. When you cover yourself with His blood you are protected from the devil. If you are concerned about the safety of your children, accidents, sickness and disease, pray over the situation or your children with the blood of Jesus. The devil will flee when he sees the blood (I mean applying the blood spiritually)
I suffered from a stomach ulcer for 5 years but continued to believe in the word of God and speak it over my life. I watched my diet and continued to pray over the situation. The devil brought thoughts like, “Yeah, you’re going to get cancer now, you won’t get better! How come God is not answering your prayers?” However, last October the pain totally disappeared from my stomach. I stopped eating spices for 3 years, so I tested out my healing by eating them again, but the pain never returned. You see, the devil has left me alone on this now - he will not come back again.
So my encouragement to you is: don’t allow fear to overwhelm you, keep standing, and be bold and courageous. When the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ, he will leave you alone.