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re: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Matthew 6:27

Remember, the Lord is referring to “worrying” when He says, “taking thought”. In other words, Jesus isn’t saying not to think and reason - but, not to worry about our sustenance because God will take care of us just as He does the “birds of the air”. He wants us to place our trust and faith in Him regarding our future and our daily needs.

Also, in regard to thinking and reasoning, He also said:

“He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your MIND’ (my emphasis) ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Luke 10:27

Loving God with our minds means to use our mental resources to the best of our ability to learn God’s Word and to learn to reason with the lost about God’s truth - to learn how to be good ambassadors for Him and, as the Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15 -

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,. . .”

The problems we face today have occurred again and again in history. They are nothing new.

I think what we see as so distressing, is that at one time our nation held common ethics and general beliefs about right and wrong, patriotism, self-defense, economic prosperity, handling money properly, role of government, parenting and discipline, marriage, work, duty, the ideals of America as a source for good in the world, and honor (and many others).

But now, all these issues/views/beliefs that we commonly held as true have over the past 70 years been questioned, re-defined, reviled, ignored, etc. We are constantly bombarded with denials of everything we believed and held dear. As the scripture says - what is good is now called evil and what is evil is now called “good”.

It is tiring, oppressive, and depressing to have to constantly defend and attempt to restore correct thinking. It can feel like trying to swim up stream.

But, like many of you have said, we are not alone. God is not mocked. He has already won the victory. Evil can thrash about all it wants but it is to no avail. It is like the last gasps of a dying animal.

All will bow the knee one day to our Lord. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” - Hitler will bow, Chairman Mao will bow, Osama bin Laden will bow, Nancy Pelosi will bow, Obama will bow, Barney Frank will bow, Stephen Hawkings will bow, all the nations and all the peoples of the earth from all history until now will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord.

One day we won’t have to struggle with our own personal fight with sin, we won’t have to bear the fatique of aging bodies, all hurts physical, mental, and spiritual will be healed. I look forward to that day. In the meantime, God will give us strength to face each new day, one day at a time.

A recent rendering of the old gospel song, “One Day” has been reworked by the contemporary Christian music group, “Casting Crowns” and renamed the song “Glorious Day”. I recommend listening to it. You’ll be encouraged by it.