HomeWord - July 29, 2008

$3.85 a Gallon 
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… 
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry…? 
So, do not worry… 
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow…
Matthew 6: 25, 27, 28, 31, 34

When the pump emptied its last gulp into my gas tank, I should have braced myself for the impact.  The price read $72.00 and I almost passed out.  I felt like I’d been sucker-punched.  I’d been putting off the trip to the gas station for far too long, telling myself that gas prices couldn’t possibly stay this high for this long.  So, I’d been putting in $10.00 on one trip and $15.00 on the next, never even filling the tank half-full.  But this time, I had already driven for two days with the gas light on and the dashboard gauge resting comfortably, almost mockingly, on empty.  So with paycheck in hand, I decided to fill the tank.  Needless to say I’m thinking of alternate transportation.

With gas prices and other costs soaring, it is easy to worry.  Questions begin to plague our minds like, “How am I going to get to work?”  “What can I do to make ends meet?”  “How creative can I be with my cooking to stretch our food supply a little longer?”  This is really the first time in my life that I’ve ever had to ask questions like this and it has me seeking creative solutions.  But ultimately it is reminding me to trust God.

On my morning run a few days ago, I passed a lake and happened to catch a poignant sight.  A blue heron was fishing along the edge of the lake and had a small fish secured tightly in its beak.  My mind went immediately to Matthew 6: 26:  “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?” I continued on my run a little more at ease.  God really is in control.  He really does love me and I really can trust Him no matter what the price at the pump.

Going Deeper: 

God is not absent from our daily struggles.  In fact, He is as close as the wind across our face.      Ask Him to help you in your areas of doubt and unbelief. 

Further Reading: 
Psalm 23

Leslie Snyder is a youth and family ministry veteran currently serving in the Kansas City area with her husband and three kids.  

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