In
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was speaking to the masses. If you can imagine
that during his sermon, he looks around at the crowd. He sees people from all walks
of life.
Some are farmers; some are religious leaders; some are common laborers; some are sinners like tax collectors; some are beggars; and some are business men. All are struggling to survive.
And
what does Jesus tell them?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?
What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things
dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows
all your needs. NLT
Jesus
isn’t speaking some pleasant sounding platitude like, “Don’t worry, be happy”.
What he’s telling the people, and us, is that God is in control. He knows our
needs. He loves us. He is always with us. He is always at work in our lives. So
trust Him to provide for you, to meet your needs. Just how is this
accomplished?
Some are farmers; some are religious leaders; some are common laborers; some are sinners like tax collectors; some are beggars; and some are business men. All are struggling to survive.
If
we look at our own life, we’re not all that different from the people in the
crowd to whom Jesus was speaking. We are trying to survive; to get ahead in the
world; to provide for our family; to live a comfortable lifestyle. We
desperately try to control our world to accomplish our goals.
In
1963 there was a movie titled “Lilies of the Field” starring Sidney Poitier. The
title
comes from today’s passage. It was about an itinerant handyman who stumbled upon some German nuns who were barely surviving in the Arizona desert.
comes from today’s passage. It was about an itinerant handyman who stumbled upon some German nuns who were barely surviving in the Arizona desert.
They
had faith in God that He would provide a church building for them. To Sidney
Poitier’s chagrin, HE was the answer to their prayers. It’s a humorous, but
touching story about how God provides.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously,
and he will give you everything you need. NLT
That’s
what the nuns were doing; that’s what we are to do. It’s not a formula. It’s
how you live. Seek God. Then look to see how God is providing for you; how God is
at work in your life. And like the lilies of the field, God will provide.
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