Each morning it my habit to open the Scripture to read and
meditate. Some passages are familiar and easy to understand. Others require
study and thought. Some comfort, some convict. Today, the passage in my reading
was familiar, clear, comforting, and
convicting! Jesus is speaking on the subject of God’s provision with an
invitation to trust Him. It seems like it should be so simple, but it is not.
Here are His words. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you
worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like
one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here
today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O
you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well." (Matthew 6:25-33, NIV)
What causes you to worry? Most of us grow anxious at one
time or another, wondering about the future. Will my health fail? Will my
children do well in life? Is my job secure? Will I have enough money … for
college, for housing, for food, for my future? The worrying can keep us awake at night, make
us physically ill, and rob us of the joy available to us in this day. You know that, I’m sure. I do,
too, and still those anxious thoughts come knocking on my door from time to
time.
The great wisdom of this passage is found in the last
sentence: “But seek first His kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” What is Jesus asking of us? He desires that we get our priorities straight,
that we make God and His rule our first concern. Instead of trying to secure
our little fiefdoms in this world, He tells us to put the Lord God in charge of
it all. “Well,” you say, “He is God and He is in charge whether I ‘put’ Him
there or not.” That is true. But, we
cannot know the benefits of being in His care IF we are trying to manage life on
our own. Worry effectively cuts us off
from the peace of God, keeps us from walking intimately with Him.
Jesus does not ask us to ignore the realities of life. He
does not offer us blinders that let us live in denial and/or fantasy. He asks us
to make Him LORD of it all. That is a choice we must make today, again
tomorrow, and the day after that, too. With the dawn of a new day, new concerns
arrive. We have a choice to make – trust God for His wisdom as we actively
pursue His rule; OR try to manage it all on our own which will bring on anxiety
and worry.
Are you full of care this morning? Is there a situation that
resists your solution, that cause you pain, that is not what it ought to be? Trust
God with it. Find a quiet place and hand it over. Take those tumbling thoughts
and spill them before Him as you consciously make the faith choice to live in His
reign. Will it all magically sort itself out? Probably not. Will every problem
find a solution by the end of the day? No, that isn’t likely, either. YOU will
change and with that change, God will be able to work in you and through you to
accomplish His eternal purposes.
Here is a word from Peter, an application of the lessons of
seeking God’s kingdom first that he learned from Jesus. Carry these words with
you through this day, in full faith expecting to see the hand of God at work. "Therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due
time, casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you. . . . May the God of all grace, who called us to His
eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect,
establish, strengthen, and settle you." (1 Peter 5:6-7,10, NKJV)
____________
Rock of Ages cleft for
me
Let me hide myself in
thee
Let the water and the
blood
From thy wounded side
which flowed
Be of sin the double
cure
Save from wrath and
make me pure
Not the labors of my
hands
Can fulfill thy law's
demands
Could my zeal no
respite know
Could my tears forever
flow
All for sin could not
atone
Thou must save and
thou alone
Nothing in my hand I
bring
Simply to the cross I
cling
Naked come to thee for
dress
Helpless look to thee
for grace
Foul I to the fountain
fly
Wash me Savior or I
die
While I draw this
fleeting breath
When mine eyes shall
close in death
When I soar to worlds
unknown
See thee on thy
judgment throne
Rock of Ages cleft for
me
Let me hide myself in
thee
Augustus Montague Toplady | Thomas Hastings
© Words: Public Domain
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