I was going to wait and write about God's provisions after I heard from others but I realize that people are busy and not everyone wants to write on a blog or may have difficulty with the process so I decided to go ahead and write. I am excited about what the Bible tells us about God's provisions! If any of you want to add your own story please do so. We need to share how God has worked in our lives through His provisions.
As I think about God's provisions from the biblical perspective I immediately think about what Jesus said about worry in Matthew 6:19-34. Take a few minutes and read that passage.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and man.”
“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. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I once read a billboard that reminded me that worry is the evidence of the lack of faith. That hit home! I always thought I had faith but I tend to be a worrier, especially when it comes to my family. I continue to learn how to let go of those worries but they still creep up once in awhile. I love the verses in Mark 9 where it speaks of the man who brought Jesus his son who was demon possessed. He had asked Jesus disciples to drive out the demon but they could not do it. In the last part of verse 22 the father says to Jesus “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Did you notice that he said “if”? Do you think that might have indicated a little bit of doubt? Jesus reply in verse 23 “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The father’s response in verse 24 is one of those favorite verses for me because I can identify with this man. “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Are you ever like that man, you believe but there is a part of you, called worry, that does not allow you to let go and let God. I am very much like that and I continue to ask God to help me with my unbelief. Life struggles can get us down but we need to remember that God wants us to seek His kingdom first. We aren’t to seek it when we get finished with everything else in our busy lives, we aren’t to seek it when we have a little extra time on our hands, we aren’t to seek it when troubles come our way and we have exhausted all other avenues. We are to seek His kingdom first! Are you having trouble with worry? Remember, it is a sign that we are lacking in our faith. The remedy, Seek Him first and He will take care of all those worries of this old world.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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