Tag: relationship

Markethive

Why a Child of God Should Not Worry

Worrying is a choice we make

Written by Gary Schneider on 07/08/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Obedience, Worry
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2
For some of us, worrying is part of our everyday life. However, God’s Word is very clear about us worrying, In Isaiah 43:2, it says: 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Did you know that worry is optional?
Yes, worrying is a choice we make. Here are three ways we can deal with worry in our lives: 

We can worry
We can ignore the stress, or
We can relax and trust God
 In Psalm 116:7, David reminded himself of God’s promises: “I said to myself, Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” Like David, some days we need to say this to ourselves (out-loud) many times over. 

You can’t worry and trust God at the same time.  It’s impossible.
That’s not just good spiritual wisdom from the Lord; it applies to your health as well.  The Bible says in Proverbs 14:30 that a heart at peace is a healthy heart.  “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”

It’s not just what you eat that destroys your health—it’s what eats you.  You can have the best health plan around- eat fresh, healthy food in proper portions- but if you’re resentful against someone in your life or worry about the future, your health will suffer.

We deal with all sorts of worry in our lives.  Most of them are in these 5 areas:

We’ll be left alone
We won’t know what to do in the future
We won’t have what we need in the future
We’ll be hurt by something or someone in the future
We won’t have the strength to survive in the future
But there’s good news:  You don’t have to worry.  Worry is optional misery.  We have many things that impact our health that we cannot control, but we can control the amount we worry!

God has more than 7,000 promises in the Bible that are remedies to the 5 things mentioned above.  Here are a few of them that I encourage you to memorize so that you can speak these (out loud) to yourself, just as David did:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:28-29)

If you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you know the One who created your future.  His promises about your future give life. Ultimately, we have no need to worry.  The One who holds our future will walk with us through it.

Pray this week:
Lord, I lift up all my worries up to you.  Please grant me your peace and wisdom so that I can be obedient in your Word. Amen. 

In what area of your life are you struggling to trust God, causing unneeded worry? What promise from God will you claim to help you trust Him more and worry less?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

While I Kept Partying My Parents Kept Praying — Part 2: Something Was Missing

There was something that relationships, drugs and wild parties just couldn't fill.

Tags: Partying, Testimony
This article was written by Andrew Palau.

By the time I attended the University of Oregon, I blended right in with my fraternity buddies. On the outside it seemed like I was a happy guy and could juggle classes, work, and the party life. But on the inside I was miserable.

I felt guilty about so many of the poor choices I had made because they were diametrically opposed to the way that I had been brought up. It seemed like there was a void in my life- that something was missing. Something that relationships, and drugs, and wild parties just couldn’t fill.

A sense of emptiness continued, even after I graduated from college and began working in Boston. I kept partying, felt no peace, and drank to hide the pain inside. I felt like I was sinking into the depths of despair. I would look into a mirror and ask myself, What really matters? Where can I go?

At that point, it was as though God tapped me on the shoulder and said, Andrew, look at your parents’ example. What does your dad care about most?

I couldn’t get away from the answer. The center of Dad’s life is the Gospel. He had preached about it around the world, and had written dozens of books. Books I had never read, even though I was an English literature major.

Finally, not knowing where to turn, I pulled Dad’s book, “Say Yes! How to Renew Your Spiritual Passion” off of the shelf and actually read it. Although I was convinced that what Dad wrote about Jesus Christ was true, my heart was still not convicted.

If you've been far away from God sometime in your life, how did God begin to gently draw you to Himself? What advice would you give someone who is related to a person living far from God? S.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Seven Truths About Christianity

Religion or relationship?

Written by Janet Perez Eckles on 28/08/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Fear, Relationship, Truth, Religion
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15
The best part of speaking before any group is what happens afterwards. Often times, folks stop and chat with me. This past week, that very thing happened.

A man shook my hand. “I was touched by your message,” he said, “and I just want to know how you deal with the fact that the disease with your eyes is hereditary?”

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Well, I have a disease. It’s hereditary, and I can’t let go the worry and total fear my child will inherit it. I’m afraid of the future.”

He paused. “And I don’t have any religion…don’t believe in much of anything.”

I wanted to give him a huge hug and whisper in his ear, “You don’t need a religion, you need a relationship with Jesus to set you free from that worry and fear.”

Forgive me for being presumptuous. But if you are one of those who believe that religion is the answer, here are seven truths to ponder upon:

Religion offers rituals, Jesus offers a personal relationship.
Religions can change; Jesus is the same today, tomorrow and forever.
Religion works to win grace, Jesus becomes the grace we can work under.
Religion doesn’t offer forgiveness; Jesus became the forgiveness for our sin.
Religion offers no miracles; Jesus delights in performing them.
Religion doesn’t take you to heaven; Jesus took the blame so we could enter it.
Religions bind us; Jesus sets us free.
When we spend sleepless nights, we wring our hands about the uncertainty of tomorrow, and mistakenly, we go by the way of religion, that’s why Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Pray this week:
Lord, forgive me for trying to reduce you to a religion. I want to know you and live this life as your friend. You are the Way the Truth and the Life. Guide me to help others know and follow you too. Amen.

What rules your life these days: nothing in particular, a religion or a relationship with Christ, the Savior?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member