“Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves], That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world” – Philippians 2:14-15 (AMPC)
LIGHT FOR NOW: When you give thanks to God rather than complain, murmur, grumble, or be in anxiety and worries, that is the expression of the voice of faith in what Christ has done.
Paul in verse 6 of Philippians 4 has this to say, “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). The term “Be careful” here (“merminao”) in Greek means to be anxious. Jesus in Matthew 6 taught in the same line of thoughts and he used this same Greek word merimnao“ in verse 25 and 27 of Matthew 6; “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:25, 27).
The term “Take no thought” and “by taking thought” were translated from the same Greek word used by Paul in Philippians 4:6 – It is the Greek word “merimnao”; so Jesus, just like Paul, was addressing anxiety and worries. In verse 28 of Matthew 6, he uses the Greek word “merimnao” again; “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin”. In verse 31, he uses the word again; “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”. Again, in verse 34, Jesus says, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”. Jesus, therefore, was emphatically addressing anxiety and worries. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Don’t live in worries and anxiety.
DECLARATION: I am not anxious; I am not worried; I am of faith, so I give thanks, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
QUOTE: Thanksgiving is the voice of faith in what Christ has done.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: MATTHEW CHAPTER 6; EVENING: 1CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 