Ever heard the song lyrics, “Don’t worry, Be happy”? How about the scripture verse “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.“? The big key here is to be able to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you“. Are you ready to say goodbye to worry and anxiety? Could today be your day as a dad to let it go and give it to God?
Don’t Worry – Trust in the Lord’s Provision
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus teaches about the futility of worrying and emphasizes the Father’s care for His creation. He urges His followers not to be anxious about their needs but to seek first the kingdom of God. As dads, we can take solace in the assurance that God knows our needs and will provide for us. By prioritizing our relationship with God and trusting in His provision, we can experience freedom from anxiety and worry.
Key Takeaway:
Trust in God’s provision and prioritize seeking His kingdom above all else. Recognize that worrying cannot add anything to our lives but instead can detract from our faith in God’s faithfulness.
Practical Application:
Begin each day by surrendering your worries to God in prayer and committing to seek His kingdom first. Whenever anxious thoughts arise, remind yourself of God’s promises and provision. Cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude by regularly acknowledging and thanking God for His provision in your life. By aligning your priorities with God’s kingdom and trusting in His provision, you can experience peace and contentment as a dad.
Don’t Worry – Find Rest in God’s Care
Psalm 23:1-4
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:1-4 poetically portrays God as our Shepherd who provides for and protects His sheep. The psalmist declares that because the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not lack anything we need. As dads, we can find comfort in knowing that God cares for us like a shepherd cares for his flock. By trusting in God’s guidance and protection, we can find rest and security even in the midst of life’s uncertainties.
Key Takeaway:
Trust in God’s care and provision, knowing that He is our Shepherd who leads, provides, and protects. Embrace the assurance that God is with us, guiding us through life’s challenges and leading us to places of rest and refreshment.
Practical Application:
Meditate on Psalm 23 regularly, allowing its truths to sink deep into your heart and mind. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or anxious, recite verses from Psalm 23 as a declaration of faith in God’s care. Take intentional moments throughout the day to pause and rest in God’s presence, surrendering your worries and burdens to Him. By relying on God as your Shepherd and finding rest in His care, you can experience peace and confidence as a dad.
Don’t Worry – Cast Your Cares on God
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Believers are encouraged to humble themselves before God and cast all their anxieties on Him, knowing that He cares for them. This passage reminds us that we don’t have to carry our burdens alone but can entrust them to God who lovingly cares for us. As dads, we can find strength and comfort in knowing that God is attentive to our needs and is ready to bear our burdens with us.
Key Takeaway:
Humble yourself before God and cast your anxieties on Him, trusting in His care and provision. Recognize that God is concerned about every aspect of your life and is ready to help you navigate through challenges.
Practical Application:
Develop a habit of prayerfully entrusting your worries and concerns to God daily, acknowledging His sovereignty and care. Seek support from fellow believers and mentors who can pray with you and offer godly counsel during difficult times. Practice surrendering control and trusting in God’s timing and plan for your life and family. By casting your cares on God and relying on His strength, you can experience freedom from anxiety and walk in greater peace as a dad.
Today’s Devotional:
This year, I am utilizing the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas, applying its teachings specifically in the context of fatherhood. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to get to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this one for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit: DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: GOOD-BYE WORRY!
Verse: 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Today’s Devotional gets us started by pointing to C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. It speaks to how in the book “senior devil, Screwtape, explains to the junior devil Wormwood, why they must tempt humans to worry and not trust God.” Let’s be the dads who trust God and resist the devil so that he will flee rather than allowing him to produce suspense and anxiety that try to draw us away from trusting God. Today’s Devotional continues to explain how the devil “wants men to be concerned with what they do” and so their job is to keep us “thinking about what will happen to” us.
Today’s Devotional goes on to try and help us be the dads who get to experience and live in the joy of today rather than the worry and anxiety of tomorrow. It points us to the words of Paul when he “explains the simple but profound solution to worry: ‘Humble ourselves…casting our cares upon God.'” It shares how our response and choice is to be the dads who “entrust ourselves and our troubles to God as our singular defense against worry.”
Today’s Devotional challenges us right here as the dads God created, purposed, and plans for us to be for the sake of our wives, kids, and world to “submitting with patience to God’s will.” Do you remember how we aren’t supposed to worry about tomorrow because today will have enough things to worry about? Today’s Devotional calls us to “Humble ourselves before God because God is our all-sufficient provider and He cares for us!” Ready to say goodbye to worry?
“Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers which he thinks are lead.”
CORRIE TEN BOOM
