Do you have financial pressures? – Wednesday, 06 December

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 KJV

Living in rest and not in stress starts with coming to Jesus and taking His yoke, which isn’t just easy but it’s also life-giving. Then it’s important for us to learn of Him.

Whatever you are going through you need to know that God wants to reveal Himself to you in the middle of the chaos. He didn’t cause it the chaos but He does want to use it for your good and His glory. What the enemy intends for harm in your life, God wants to turn for good. (See Genesis 50:20; John 10:10; Romans 8:28)

Many people stress out over a problem because they’re trying to figure out the problem and how to fix it rather than trying to find God in the problem. God didn’t cause the problem but He wants to help in the problem. We tend to focus on the problem more than we should. It seems to be our carnal-default to focus on the problem and think and talk about how bad it is, but why focus on the problem when you have the Solution? The One who is your ever-present help in time of trouble – is the solution to your problem – is with you to help you!

How do you respond to financial challenges (for example)? Do you focus on how bad the situation is? Do you think about everything you can’t do and wish you could? Do you freak out and say things like; I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this mess! You may legitimately be in a mess (and a very big one) which should naturally result in much stress but you are not natural – you’re a child of God: you’re supernatural! You should not respond to problems the way the world does because you have a Helper that the world doesn’t have.

If you were alone in a challenging financial situation and had no one to help you through it, you would be justified to stress, panic and freak out. However, as a child of God, you have a promise from your heavenly Father who says that He’ll never leave you and He will provide all (not just some) of your needs.

The antidote to stress and worry is to trust in God. Don’t focus on the problem but rather seek God in the midst of it. Seek His promises in His Word and focus on them.

 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 NKJV

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.”
Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:25-26 NKJV