Devotions with Nell Ritchey

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7, ESV

Wednesday is food box delivery day in Montara. What a privilege it is to be part of a team that is delivering food to people in challenged living conditions! And on Thursday we get to go back and take sack lunches for the children to have over the weekend.

Unfortunately, one Tuesday night we were challenged ourselves. One car wasn’t running right, and the second, which was sitting on a flat, wouldn’t start because of the cold weather. My husband had said he didn’t know how we were going to make our deliveries, so I did the wifely thing and took up the worry for myself. I went to bed that Tuesday night exhausted, and lay awake trying to figure it all out. I ran all kinds of scenarios through my tired brain, until the Lord spoke to me directly: “Those are tomorrow’s worries. Let’s worry about them tomorrow.” By accepting that admonition, I went right to sleep.

Philippians 4 shows us that if we can learn to pray instead of worry, God answers right away. Maybe not in the way we expected or wanted, but He does answer, with His “…peace which surpasses all understanding.” The problem may still be there, but the worry is gone.

Well, on Wednesday everything worked out just fine. The food got delivered, the cars got fixed, and we experienced some unexpected blessings along the way. At the end of the day we had a new testimony and were praising God for His goodness. Amen!
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In Christ,
Nell Ritchey