Pastors Message – May 2014 

"God is supernaturally tuned in to our frequency. His blazing eyes take in our slightest stir. His holy ears prick at our softest whisper. Better still, He’s in close proximity when we cry." –Lisa Harper

Life is littered with what ifs.

What if there’s not enough money? Or resources to go around? Or the economy doesn’t improve? What if the person we’ve trusted breaks her promise? Or doesn’t fulfill his

commitment? Or drops the ball completely? What if our health begins to fail? Or our loved ones pass away? Or we find ourselves alone?

Uncertainty surrounds us. The possibility of change can raise endless what if questions, causing us to worry. We all face legitimate challenges that need to be overcome, but

whenever we allow fear to take to root, we create space for worry and anxiety to set up shop in our lives. Once they begin working, they don’t want to stop.

Given enough time, worry can strangle the life out of us. In fact, the origin of the word worry when it first appeared in Old English meant "to strangle." Over the centuries, it transitioned to mean "to bite and shake," much like a dog treats a rubber toy. Eventually the word was understood as "to harass or vex." In the early nineteenth century, worry adopted its more modern meaning, "to make (or to be) persistently anxious."

Worry can cause us to lose touch with reality and move further and further from the truth.

Jesus knew this. Maybe that’s one reason why time and time again He told the disciples to "Fear not!" Jesus never wanted us to be controlled by worry and anxiety but instead wanted us to be marked by faith and trust. Jesus recognized that worry has a way of subtracting God from the scene and making us believe we’re responsible for holding all things together.

We will never get rid of all the "what ifs" in life, but when they come, we can rest assured that we do not meet them alone. God is with us. We can choose to face uncertainty with faith and begin to walk in greater levels of confidence, contentment, joy, peace, security, and calmness.

This excerpt, from Overcoming Worry, [copyright 2013 by Margaret Feinberg (Thomas

Nelson), reminds us we always have two choices: To choose the life of faith (that takes a lot of work – see Matt.7:14) or the choice to let worry work away within us (See Matt. 13). Which will you choose today?

The Peace of Christ be with you – and in you,

Pastor Diane

"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…" Deut. 30: 19-20a