Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Lilies of the field

I think at this point, a good portion, if not all of you know I lost my job at Costco.  I'm taking it pretty well, as I know that God has other plans for me, and another job.  However, as I was at Bible Study tonight, I was hit in the gut (metaphorically) by God, and this verse came to mind.

Matthew 6:25-34:
“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 than food, and the body more 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?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
    “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers 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—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."

It dawned on me as I heard God speaking this verse to me, that this was how I had been this past summer, that I had been way too worried about money and not having a job, when I should have been concentrating on praising God for what I did have.  It fully dawned on me tonight, that God loves us, but He would prefer us to give over everything to us.  Sunday, the sermon was about awakening to what God wants from us in life, and how that is reflected to serve him.  Between those two things, the nutshell of it is that I need to learn to be content.  YES, I will have down times in my life, YES, I will have non-employment in my life, YES I will worry about things, but like the lilies of the field, or the birds of the air, or the fish in the sea, God will take care and provide.  He will provide, and He will also take away, because He wants us to remember who ultimately is in charge.

Paul, in Philippians 4 writes:
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

It also dawned on me that I only became content this past semester when I finally had a job, like the job became my "god" and my "contentment," because it was real and physical.  I let it get to me that I had replaced it and let it become why I was happy and content.  I'm not saying that it was overt and out there, but it was a subtly that I didn't pick up on myself until tonight.  God uses everything as a teaching lesson, and sometimes it takes that lesson as a reminder to why we should just wherever we are when a lesson arises kneel down, raise our hands and just worship him.  God is in ultimate control.

Further proof that I was on to something, was a song that came on the radio tonight as I was driving, related to the lilies of the field, and a worshipful example of why just raising my voice in song while driving is a perfect example of praising and thanking God.

Newsboys: Blessed be Your Name.

"Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

And blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name

I will bless Your name, Lord

Oh, You give and take away
You give and take away
But my heart will choose to say (oh Lord!)
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away
You give and take away
But my heart will choose to say (oh Lord!)
Blessed be Your name"

So bless God regardless whether you are in plenty or in want, bless him whether you are sick or healthy.  Bless Him regardless, He is God.  He loves you, and He wants you to know that tonight.

I pray blessings on all of you.  I hope that many of you who need answers find them, and those that have, remember God loves you always and unconditionally.  His love is the Truth.

Amen.