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Seed Thoughts

seedthoughts//Lynette Hagin

In today’s uncertain world, it is easy for us to become worried and concerned about our future. However, during such times it is so important that we look to our Heavenly Father, Who cares for us even more  than we care about ourselves. Fear may have tried to grip you recently as you heard news reports concerning the economic situation and turmoil in the world. In such times you need to  place your trust in the Lord. God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

Remember, God has taken care of you up to this time, and He will continue to do that if you place your trust in Him. I love to read about the children of Israel. It encourages me to be reminded of how God was so faithful to take care of them. In Deuteronomy we read how Moses prepared the children of Israel to go into the  Promised Land. He reminded them that God had taken care of them for 40 years in the wilderness, and He certainly was not going to stop when they entered the land He was giving them. Moses reminded them that God had given them food when they were  hungry and water when they were thirsty. And when they were attacked by their enemy, God brought them out  victoriously. He also reminded the Israelites that it was important not to forget God when they entered the land of plenty.

Deuteronomy 6:1–13 (NLT) says, “ ‘These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God  commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your  children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

“ ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

“ ‘The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.’ ”

You may feel as though you have been in a wilderness for the last several years. As you place your trust in God, making Him the very center of your life and obeying His commands, I believe that He will turn your situation around. During such times you need to remember what God has done for you in the past. Remember how He has brought you out of difficult circumstances. If He has done it before, He will certainly do it again. Make sure that you teach your children the faithfulness of God. I was taught that God would always take care of me and supply my every need. Having learned that at a young age, I turn to Him first in times of need, because I have confidence that, regardless of my situation, God will see me through it.

Remember, whatever you need God has promised to provide: “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19 NLT). You are God’s child and your Heavenly Father will never abandon you. Just rest in Him. Let Him work out everything for you and it will work out for your good.