Dependence on God is Key

June 29, 2023

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, otherwise known as Independence Day! As

your pastor, I pray that you have a FUN and SAFE holiday with your

family.

As we celebrate our independence as a nation, I just want us to

remember that sometimes dependence can be good... in fact, it is so

necessary. Dependence on God is key, especially in this day and age when

we can't depend on much else.

God tells us that he wants us to depend on him and trust him every day.

And saying we depend on God is one thing, but actually following

through and depending on him in uncertain times is another. Do we actually spend our lives depending on God? Do we really trust him? Or, do we try to take control or worry? 

The Bible says the way to depend on God is one day at a time. He

says, “I want you to trust me one day at a time. We’ll worry about

tomorrow, tomorrow. We’ll worry about next week, next week. We’ll worry

about next month, next month. I don’t want you worrying about that. In

fact, I don’t want you worrying at all.  I want you to take it one day

at a time.”

How do you do that? How do you trust God just for today? There are four things that you do to depend God on a daily basis.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done  

1. WORRY ABOUT NOTHING.  

That’s the first step: worry about nothing. He says, “I don’t want you worrying about anything.”  

Why is worry such a big deal? Why does God say “I don’t want you

worrying?” Every time you worry you’re saying, “God, I don’t believe

your promises. God, I don’t really believe you love me.God, I don’t

believe you’ll take care of me. God, I don’t believe you’ll meet all my

needs”

If my kids came to me when they were small and said, “Dad, we’re worried about the house.” I would say, “You guys don’t have to worry about it. I’m going to pay for the house.”  “Dad, we don’t think you can do that.  Dad we’re worried about whether we’re going to have a meal tonight.” “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it taken care of.”  “Dad, we don’t think you’re competent to take care of that.”  

When you worry, it’s saying, “God, I don’t really believe you.”

2. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.  

He says, “Here’s the alternative: I don’t want you worrying. I want you praying.” Worry about nothing, pray about everything.

You’ve got two choices. You can worry or you can pray. Every day

you’re doing one or the other. Every time you worry, you’re not praying.

Every time you pray you’re not worrying.  You can either pray or panic.

You can worry or you can worship.

Worry has never solved a problem. It’s never solved a single problem.

It’s stewing without doing. It is the most useless emotion. But prayer

can change things.

Romans 8:32 “Since God did not spare even his own Son [in other words he sent Jesus to die for us] but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”  

3. THANK GOD IN ALL THINGS.

Notice the word “in.” It doesn’t say, “For all things give thanks.”

It says “In all things give thanks.”  You don’t have to be thankful for

bad things in your life. You should never be thankful for evil. You

don’t have to be thankful for cancer or a car accident or a rape or war

or abuse or any of those other bad things in life. God doesn’t say be

thankful foreverything. There’s a lot of things that we hate in life, we dislike in life. But God says in everything

give thanks. Why?  Because I know that God’s going to take care of me. I

know he’s going to meet my needs. I know he’s going to help me. I see

him as my source and I trust him one day at a time, he’s going to take

me through this.  

4. THINK ABOUT THE RIGHT THINGS.

Worry about nothing, pray about everything, thank God in all things,

think about the right things. Whatever you put your mind on is what’s

going to get you. You fill you mind with worries, you’re going to be

down, depressed, discouraged, defeated. You fill your mind with the

right things, you’re going to be lifted up, hopeful, encouraged and

positive. Think about the right things. Notice he gives us a list of

things to think about. He says:

Phil 4:8 “Fix

your thoughts on what’s true, honorable, right, what’s pure and lovely

and admirable, what’s excellent, what’s worthy of praise.”  

Are your thoughts fixed on the Lord? Or do you only think about him

on Sundays? Where do your thoughts turn most often? What do you think

about the most?

Hope you have a great 4th of July SCC Fam!