Worry

Jos,  01/19/ 2012

Over the weekend the Nigerian Government reinstated half of the former gas subsidy, and as a result the national strike and protests have been called off. Things are almost back to normal. We thank God! We now have permission to travel and will do so in a few days, still finishing up on last minute details. Jos, situated on a 4800 foot elevated plateau, is a beautiful place. Yet, everyone was complaining because the temperature actually dropped down to 47 degrees F. a couple of days ago. That sounds good to you I’m sure but for those of us who have lived in Africa and are now living here will never again adjust to the temps you are experiencing now.  Andy and Linda Horlings, one of our long term missionaries,  have a wonderful garden and we want to share some of it with you. Like streams in the desert, in the midst of conflict God is faithful and refreshes us.

The Sermon on the Mount reminds us again and again that God is in control of our lives Matt. 6: 25-34. Further, we are commanded to be proactive as an alternative to worry verse 33 “But seek you first his kingdom and his righteousness”…. The kingdom for Matthew is the reign of God through Jesus in our hearts. The kingdom is in our hearts and God’s righteousness, Jesus,  is in our hearts. It’s the Gospel: repentance, turning away from sin and turning to the righteousness of God (a  Jesus like life) as we see it in the Sermon on the Mount. When we turn to God and away from the world all the things God knows we need are given to us (v.33b). “Therefore, (pointing back to verse 33) do not worry about tomorrow”.