“Then He said to His disciples.”Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.” Luke 12:22
Folks, Jesus is telling us this morning to stop worrying. It doesn’t help us at all - It just makes you sick. It makes you confused, it makes you go the wrong way and make bad decisions. Do not worry about tomorrow... The Lord says today has enough problems of its own. Why are you worrying about tomorrow? We need to start to take one day at a time.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these (other) things (tomorrow) shall be added to you”
Matthew 6:33
Do your best and then leave the rest to Jesus. When travelling, I have to drive out of this little farm, I have to get on an aeroplane and I have to go to the other side of the world. Now I am a farmer - I am used to, when the sun goes down, I come back to my little house, to my wife and my family... But that is not always possible anymore. Often I will end up in a hotel room on the other side of the world with a bit of jet lag and a lot of other things and then the battle is on. The battle is not on when I get onto the platform or behind the pulpit. No, it is when I am in that hotel room on my own. This battle that I am talking about, we are all facing it. It is not a physical battle, it is a spiritual battle.
I lie in that bed and the devil says to me, “You are irresponsible. You have left your wife on her own in that little house, on the other side of the world. You can’t get to her even if you wanted to if she had a problem.” And then that cold sweat comes on my brow and I start to worry. Then the Holy Spirit comes in like a beautiful fresh early morning breeze and He starts to speak to me in my heart. He says, “Angus, I called you. I appointed you and I anointed you for this work. Angus, let us reason together.” I get quite emotional, just telling you this. “Am I not better able to take care of your wife, your family, your children and your grandchildren and the farms?”
I say, “Yes Lord.”
“Well Angus, you do your work and then let Me do My work.”
And then I just turn over and I go to sleep. And of course, the first thing in the morning, I phone my wife and I hear that lovely voice on the other side, “Good morning, Angie!”
“How you Jill?”
“I had a good sleep.”
“How are the horses, the dogs, the kids, everything... the chickens?”
“No, they are fine.”
And then I go to work, and we see the power of God come down. We are in a battle. Don’t worry - It won’t do anything for you.
Maybe this morning I am speaking to a young student who is worried about their exams - Study hard. Do your best and leave the rest to God. You will be surprised at how those answers will come to you when you are writing your exam. Maybe it is a businessman this morning who just does not know what to do tomorrow. Just do what you can today... the Lord will take care of the rest. Maybe it is a medical problem and you don’t know whether you should do it or not. Ask God, leave it to Him and carry on living. You will probably find you won’t even have to have that operation.
Let us start to trust God and stop worrying. Have a wonderful day today as you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and the Perfecter of your faith.
God bless you.
14/10/2021
Don't Worry
October 14, 2021 • Angus Buchan • Luke 12:22
20/04/2024
April 20, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Revelation 3:8
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 20th of April, 2024, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Revelation 3:8. Jesus says: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Oh my dear friend, the door is open, all we have to do is to walk through it. Do you remember the story of that sailing ship, maybe in the 1800’s. The huge sailing ship that was caught in a calm. Apparently, the sailors tell me that’s one of the most dangerous places to be, when you’re in the middle of the ocean and there’s no wind and you’re on a sailing ship. This ship had been standing for about three weeks, the sailors were starting to really panic because they had no fresh drinking water, and all of a sudden they saw a ship on the horizon. They sent a message saying, “We are dying of thirst please help us with water, fresh water.” The other ship sent back a signal to say, “Let your bucket down. There is fresh water under you.” They were about 80 miles out from the mouth of the mighty Amazon River in South America, which pushes fresh water right out into the sea! Today, the Lord is saying to you and me, “Just let your bucket down because there is plenty fresh water right beneath you.” You just have to take it. The door is open; walk through it. When the door closes, you don’t go through it, but when the door is opened by faith, and the little strength you have goes straight through that door, the Lord has something very special for you on the other side. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.
19/04/2024
April 19, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Isaiah 58:6–7
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 19th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?” (your own family) This is the chapter on fasting, going without food. Now, to fast is very important. Jesus did it for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. It is a very good practice. It brings the body into subjection with the spirit. It is necessary for each believer to do. However, the Lord says, ”but this is the kind of fasting that I have chosen.” We have got to be doers of God’s Holy Word. We have got to lift the burdens of the oppressed, we have got to share our food with the hungry, we have got to give a bed to those who have no roof over their heads, and we must not hide ourselves from our own families. Jesus says, if we do this, then the light will break forth like the morning, and healing will spring up speedily and then the glory of the Lord will be our portion, and then when we call on the Lord, He will answer us and He will say, “Here I am.” Today, we need to be doers of God’s word. I remember my dear old dad just after I had led him to the Lord. I said to him, “Dad, we have got to fast as well now that we are Christians, and that old Scotsman looked at me with those blue eyes of his, and he said, “Laddie, fast?” He said, “I fasted for three and a half years.” You see, he was a prisoner of war in the Second World War. He was imprisoned in Germany and Italy. That didn’t impress him so much as when he saw us taking care of the poor and the needy. That impacted my dad’s life more than anything else. Today, yes, we must fast but let us fast as the Lord says - by taking care of those who are hurting, those who are lonely and those who are fearful. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.
18/04/2024
April 18, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Psalm 27:1, Matthew 28:20, Philippians 4:13
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 18th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Then we go to Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew 28:20, the last verse in the Book of Matthew: “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You and I can never be alone. Jesus has promised us that He will be with us always. We must always add His resources to our own when we are making calculations. That is what F B Meyer says, and I agree. When you sit down and work out your budget, when you are working on your spreadsheet and making plans for your future, always put it next to it with a little + sign, “But God.” So when people come to you and say it will never happen, it is too big, just answer two words, “But God!” Remember, we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) William Carey, who translated the Bible from English into many different Indian languages, was just a cobbler. People mocked him and said, “You are a shoemaker, aren’t you?” He said, “No, I can’t make shoes, I can only repair them.” Yet God used that man because He brought God into all his calculations. He became the Chief Interpreter to the High Court of Delhi. A country boy, just a man who could repair shoes, why? Because he added God into all his calculations. He added God into all his resources. He said, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” Today, remember to add “But God” to all your calculations, and you will be surprised at what things you can do for the King. Jesus bless you and have a lovely day. God bless you and goodbye.