He will Provide

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Have you given thought to what Jesus is requiring of us who are His followers; is He not saying do not sweat the little or the big things?  As you look at the synonyms for anxious they are, nervous, worried, concerned, uneasy, apprehensive, restless, fretful, frightened, and whom do you know that has not displayed one of these.  Many a Christian lives anxiously, and it has come to my attention that often I fall into that trap, and how does that shape our world view, and the world view of those who are watching to see if we who go by the name of Christian are any different than others who claim no faith in our Lord?

When the Lord addresses an item in his handbook about living life on planet earth, we should take notice look at these words from Luke’s gospel, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”  God is not saying He does not value birds, for He does, but you are of more value, and by worrying you cannot add one hour to your life span, so why be anxious about the rest?

One of the disciples I use most morning is to read from Psalm’s and Proverbs, and I use the (Life Essentials Study Bible) by Gene Getz and often will read his footnotes.  Yesterday, I was reading Psalm 126, and it is about Zion’s Restoration, and Gene shares this warning with us: “We must avoid giving the impression that following Jesus Christ is an experience that is free from problems and difficulties.” At the end of the note Gene ask a question; “What are the dangers faced by believers who live in a society relatively free from persecution?” All you have to do is look at the church in America and you will find the answer, we have no understanding of what the apostle Paul is telling the church in Philippians 1:21, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” He is in prison and he is preaching the risen Christ and if he is free to leave prison, he is preaching Christ risen, and if they kill him, he is with the Lord.  But is that not the life we are all called to?

As a child I was trained like a birddog to worry and fear, but that is a trap of the one Jesus calls the Thief, and I am learning how to put my trust in the only source that is unshakeable, Jesus Christ.  And I hope you keep reading in Matthew 6, because the Lord gives us insights that can be life changing, if we will believe that Jesus tells the truth and we act on His word by faith.  “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
To the American Christian: we are not promised bigger boats and bigger houses, but a Father who understands our needs, and as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will provide what is needed.  If only we understood how valuable we are to our Father in heaven!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice