Jesus told us to do what? Not to worry? Let that sink in. Worry is my middle name. I mean when it comes to living a day in the life of Kelly Lambert, you are going to experience someone who tries his hardest to add an hour to the day by worrying. I think those of us who worry can all relate and wish that we could just let things go, let things just happen, and let it all roll off our backs. In reality, the more people tell us not to worry, for me, it’s like when someone says, “Don’t look down!!” Yep, I just looked down!
In this passage, Jesus tells us a lot. He tells us not to worry, to have faith, that life is more important than food and that our body is more important than clothing. He compares our lack of faith to the boldness of the birds of the air. When I first read this, it was very confusing, intimidating, and it outright made me feel like a failure. Reading through it again and asking for help to understand, I can see that Jesus is desperately pleading with us to look past this life on earth, look at our life in reference Him, and look at our time on earth as but a breath - not as our eternal dwelling.
Have you ever been so laser-focused on an assignment, task, or book, and all you could think about was that thing? I think of the scientists at NASA when they were faced with the task of getting the crew of the Apollo 13 safely home from space. The crew was in a life-or-death situation with limited oxygen, time, and direction. One false move and they would lose power, which means no oxygen. One wrong move, and they were lost in space forever. To top it off, one of their crewmen caught the flu. The scientists at NASA were on a full-out all hands-on deck mission at making sure the Apollo 13 crew got home safe and sound. Can you imagine the focus this required? Their purpose was crystal clear, and their drive was sound. NASA was focused on one thing - getting Apollo 13 HOME. Remarkably, they did. It was a time when the whole world waited with anticipation and celebrated NASA’s accomplishment!
It's so amazing what we can do when we focus. We live in a world full of distractions. God gets that, and yet He doesn’t want us living in a bubble and separated from the world. He wants us fully engaged and pushing back the enemy in our lives, our families’ lives, at work, in our community… everywhere.
Jesus is telling us in this passage not to focus on the here and now, but to focus on our future of Hope, His provision of peace and love, and to rely on His security. God knows it is hard for us to grasp, and that is why He sent His son Jesus to not only save us but to fully understand us. When we accept and follow Jesus, God provides us with His greatest counselor and helper, The Holy Spirit a.k.a., His presence in our life that intercedes for us and is ALWAYS with us!

Reflection:

• What takes the most space in your mind? Can you place it in Jesus’s hands? Let us help you. Contact us at hello@venturechurch.org.
• Starting with the most obvious thing in your life that you’re thankful for, create a list of all that God has provided for you and that only He could have seen you through.
• Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your help and for Your provision in our life. Thank You for wanting to help us. God, I pray that You continue to help us overcome the distractions that this world throws our way. We are grateful for Your patience with us and the new mercies, love and peace You give us daily. Help us to share Your love with each other and help us to continue to place our Hope in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Family Application: Firm Foundation

• Who loves to build forts? Everyone should raise their hand, because no matter what your age is, building forts never gets old! The trick in building a good fort is to build one that is going to last through whatever game, sleepover, or Nerf battle that you have planned. To build a long lasting, strong, steady fort, you have to make sure you are building it with a strong foundation. A fort built with one sheet and one pillow may be fun for a minute or two, but it will certainly not last through a Nerf battle. But a fort built between a few dining room chairs, with a sheet for the roof, empty Amazon boxes for the walls, and pillows forming the doors, is sure to hold up for hours of fun. A fort shows us the importance of a strong foundation- just like our lives need a strong foundation in Jesus.
• In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus is explaining that if we don’t put into practice what we learn from Him, then we are like a foolish man building a house on a weak foundation of sand. When the storm comes, the house built on the sand will surely come crashing down. But if we follow Jesus’ teaching, and remain close to Him, then we are like a wise man building his house on a strong foundation of rock. Only then will we be prepared for the storms and be able to stand strong against them. How can you build a strong foundation in your life? Through daily prayer, Bible reading, and applying God’s Word to our lives.
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 says “For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is our foundation. His gift of love is strong, steady, everlasting, and will not fall and will never fail. That is some great news! Go tell someone about Jesus’ love and the strong foundation that can be found in Him.
• Prayer: God, You are strong and everlasting! Thank You for giving me a strong foundation to build my life on! Help me to remember Your love and Your mighty power even when I am faced with storms in life. Amen.