No Longer Worried by Susan Barnes
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19
Do you believe God? This is quite different to the question, do you believe there is a God? James points out that even the devil believes in the existence of God, but it hasn’t led to saving faith. Do we believe God to such an extent that we don’t even worry about the future? "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow" (Matthew 6:33).
In the book of Daniel, there are two examples of people who believed God despite their circumstances. We find that Daniel openly defied the king's decree which said that no one was to pray to any god or man for the next thirty days. Yet Daniel not only continued to pray but did so in front of an open window. Perhaps we would have been less bold and prayed in some dark corner.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to an idol. They believed God, saying, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18).
Does our belief in God make a difference in our lives? Does it mean we no longer worry about tomorrow?
Susan, an Australian pastor's wife, regularly writes devotional thoughts on Bible passages, book reviews and inspirational articles. Contact | 
