Lilies of the Field

Matthew 6:25-34

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

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.

 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?

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.

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.

God is in Control

Romans 11:28-29 (MSG)
From your point of view as you hear and embrace the good news of the Message, it looks like the Jews are God's enemies. But looked at from the long-range perspective of God's overall purpose, they remain God's oldest friends.  God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. 

I admire those people who can say they have a few of the same friends as they had in childhood. Just think, from the time you were a toddler or in the 1st or 2nd grade, a friend or two from those days is still a friend today. That is incredible. Think, there was and still is a bond that makes the two of you click.  There is a force at work that kept you both in one another's lives.  Do you ever wonder why?

I can recall a few of my childhood friends, names and even the houses they lived in, but I am hard-pressed to tell you anything about them now. I don't even know if they are still alive.  So what is the difference? Why do some relationships stand the test of time and others are shed like last summer's sun-burn? To be honest, God is probably the only One to answer that question. Friendships such as those are made in Heaven.

I do know that friendships I have made since becoming a Believer when I was still a young Christian are relationships I still have today - 20 and 30 years later. um...perhaps God does have something to do with it. These Christian friends helped shape and form my faith. At times they tested it as well. But these Faithful were put in my path as a youngster, just starting out on my journey to Jesus.

God is indeed in control of my life and He has allowed me the privilege of having a few of His Faithful to be my forever friends.

Romans 11:1-21a,29,32

God-in-a-Box

Acts 11:1-18

 

 

No doubt you have seen a “jack in the box” toy before. You may have even played with one as a child; which means that you experienced the excitement of anxiously anticipating the clown to unexpectedly pop out of the box as “Pop Goes the Weasel” reached its climax.

 

Have you ever tried to control God? It sounds ridiculous to ask the question, but if we are honest with ourselves, we do it every day. It’s called sin. We rationalize, manipulate and do everything but back flips, to control our world.

 

The church in the first century tried to control God by saying that only Jews could follow Jesus, not Gentiles; not the uncircumcised. They wanted a god-in-a-box; a god that they could control; that wouldn’t surprise them.

 

After visiting Cornelius in Caesarea, Peter returns to Jerusalem where he comes under fire for associating with the uncircumcised. He explains to the Jews how the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles in the same way that He had with them.

 

^17 “Since God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stop the work of God?” ¹⁸ When the believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing even other nations to turn to him and live.” NCV

 

Confronting this concept of a god-in-a-box, was a constant battle for Jesus during his earthly ministry. His ministry focused on people who were scorned by the culture, and as a result, were social, religious and emotional outsiders.

 

Think of the hemorrhaging woman, the lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, the demoniac; all of them fit into this category. The religious establishment didn’t have room for them. Their god-in-a-box wouldn’t allow it.

 

God-in-a-box: it doesn’t seem like it would sell very well, but in reality, we all buy into it. We want to control our life and if we can control God, then we are well on our way to accomplishing our goal.

 

But God will not be controlled. His Holy Spirit will move whomever and whenever He desires.



Our decision is whether we want to be a part of His work… or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2011%3A1-18&version=NIV;NCV

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Acts.11.1-Acts.11.18

 

 

 

God is in Control

Have you ever stressed about something that you thought you had influence over, but it was not quite right? Maybe it was something at work, or perhaps it had something to do with your family. When things aren’t going as we expect, it can be stressful.

Sometimes God asks us to take control of a situation and rectify it. Other times our actions can be fruitless. At times like this, it can be stressful and frustrating as well.

Today’s reading is Genesis 41:14-32.

Joseph had been thrown in jail in Egypt. He was a victim of circumstances, and there was nothing he could do about it. He probably was frustrated and stressed.

Pharaoh had a couple of unusual dreams and he summoned Joseph to interpret them. God used Joseph to tell Pharaoh that Egypt would go through seven years of an economic boom, followed by seven years of a famine-induced bust.

Pharaoh immediately realized he needed to store surplus food during the bountiful years to feed people during the lean years. Requiring an obedient, wise man, Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of the farm land to ensure there would be sufficient food.

 

Joseph not only was out of jail, but was now the second most powerful man in all of Egypt!

 

One overarching theme in this story is that God is in control. He was in control of the grain harvest in Egypt.

 

God was also in control of Joseph’s fate. God needed Joseph to assume an important position under Pharaoh. Joseph was in jail, but eventually God saw to it that he would be where God wanted him to be.

 

God is in control of our lives as well. We would like our life to be trouble-free and stress-free, but that is not possible. We suffer the consequences of a sinful human race, be it our own sin or someone else’s sin.

 

Given that, should we always fight to have our lives the way we want?  If God is in control, should we acknowledge that? Maybe it makes life a little bit easier knowing God is in control.

 

Is there any troublesome area in your life that would alleviate your stress if you let God take control?

 

 

God's Up to Somethin' -- Acts 11:4-18

Do you remember a VBS t-shirt imprinted, "God's up to somethin'?" I have repeated this phrase to myself many times when something in my life has taken an unexpected direction. It reminds me to keep closer to God and wait for something new to happen.

Peter knew God was up to something when he experienced a dream. The people around him, his fellow Jews, weren't open to the fact that God could change the rules, turn old things around and upside down.

Peter's reaction: "...Who was I to think that I could oppose God?" (vs. 17) He did the faithful thing by adapting and following what God's Spirit revealed. He opened to God. He trusted God. This gave him the strength and courage he needed. He led his fellow Jews into a new way of thinking. God is no longer just a God of the Jews. Now everyone is a child of God.

When God is up to something, new things can happen. We may or may not expect them. We may or may not be ready. But we know we can trust God to give us what we need to see our way through change.

What an awesome journey when we take on the courage to embrace something new God puts in our path!

Let's welcome the entire VBS t-shirt imprint: "God's up to Somethin', Count me in!"

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Read today's text on Biblegateway, Acts 11:4-18

How Great is Our God!! Isaiah 40:12-20

Have you ever looked at pictures from the Hubble Telescope? You can Google them and find a treasure trove of images that are absolutely amazing. Some of my favorites are the planets and stars that are dying. The images literally take my breath away. I worship God when gazing at those pictures.

Our scripture passage today asks, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance...?”

God is truly amazing. He is bigger than we can possibly comprehend, yet He hears and cares for our every need and prayer. It is such a comfort to me that I do not worship a God who needs my advice or direction. He is a God who not only has command of every planet and star, He also has total control of the details in my life.

Creator God,
Thank you for amazing me with Your creation and for creating me. Thank you for loving me enough to hear every prayer I pray. Help me to be amazed everyday by Your greatness. I never want to take You for granted. Amen

Read todays scripture on Biblegateway Isaiah 40: 12-20

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