Monday Musings
Greetings FSBCW membership and Wickenburg community! This is my inaugural blog post. I hope to update it daily with a brief scriptural insight or theological reflection. It may be taken from God’s Word, or may be a reflection from a quote I read in a book. But it is my desire that this will be another means the the Lord uses in your growth as a Christian. If all goes well, I will have various emphasis:
Monday Musings: Insights or Thoughts upon my own reading of the Word.
Tuesday’s Truth: Presenting some truth in God’s Word that we ought to anchor our belief and practice.
Worshipful Wednesdays: A Biblical thought on worship, quote from a book on worship, or reflection from a song we have recently sung, or a reflection from an old hymn.
Theology Thursdays: We will highlight some theological truth to help you grow in your understanding of who God is and aid in understanding his Word.
Fellowship Fridays: We will share important aspects of what the church is, and why its important to be a part of a church.
With that being said, here is our first installment of Monday Musings.
My wife and I had the pleasure of enjoying one of our favorite Christian musical artists in the Valley on Sunday Night. One of her songs is taken straight from a passage of Scripture that really spoke to me, and I have been thinking about this passage. It is Matthew 6:25-34:
[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? [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
[34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)
Worry and Anxiety sets in for many of us. We recently moved across the country from Kentucky. There was much we could worry about. Would we develop friendships? Will we find a house? Will we all adjust? Maybe you have your own worries? What will the doctor’s test results reveal? Will we make next month’s rent? Will it all be ok? Whatever it is, we are all prone to worry and anxiety which is why Jesus addresses this real issue with his disciples.
An important question
Jesus focuses on the basic necessities of food and clothing. Don’t worry about these things. He then asks a question: Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Well of course there is more to life. And when we realize Jesus has taken care of the greater things, these seemingly insignificant things like lunch and laundry don’t seem like a big deal.
Two illustrations
Jesus then uses two illustrations to drive his point home. Look at the birds. They don’t gather their food into barns. They don’t have a stock pile of food, yet God in his providential care over them, feeds them.
Look at the Lilies. They neither toil or spin, but God causes them to grow and clothes them. Neither the birds or the lilies have to work for what they need, and yet God richly supplies for even them.
And here is the point with two questions: Are you not of more value than they (the birds)? But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
If God will feed the bird and clothes the lilies, won’t he take care of us, those created to be his image bearers? OF COURSE HE WILL!!! We are of more value to him than birds and lilies, and yet he provides for them!
What to do instead
Jesus then talks about how unconverted Gentiles worry about food and clothing but he tells his followers to do something else:
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
What Jesus is saying is: God is going to take care of your basic needs. Don’t worry about those. He is sovereignty and providentially caring for all of your needs, so instead of worrying about those things, trust him, and Seek first his kingdom. Don’t worry about those daily needs, focus on his kingdom.
His one final admonition is to not worry about tomorrow. There are things that need to be done today. People need to hear the good news today. People need to be comforted with the Scriptures today. God’s going to meet your needs tomorrow. Trust him for today, and do what he’s calling you today to advance his kingdom.