In Canada, it is the time of government mandating no strike, corporations squeezing workers to take less money, pensions and health care. So it is, for us, an uncertain time. After 3 ½ years of layoff and a few months back to work, we face a possible strike with minimal strike pay. No matter whose side you take, people are going to suffer, either now in the lack of money to pay bills, or in future workers who have a bleak future in a job without benefits and pensions or extra money to help.
Many adults are out there with minimum wage jobs, no benefits or pensions already, struggling to make ends meet and learning to say “no” a lot, or living with increasing debt. Some cannot even feed their families properly. Life is tough. I’m sure there was a similar situation back in Jesus’ day. Once when Jesus was speaking to the multitude in a familiar passage known as the Sermon on the Mount, He had this to say:
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Mt. 6:31-34
What did you say Jesus? Don’t worry about our basic necessities that we need to survive? How will we live without food or water or clothing? Of course the Gentiles seek these things… we all do, don’t we? I can image the murmuring of the crowds becoming quite loud, and those mocking by saying, “Well, I’ve never seen a shirt/ food/ water appear out of nowhere, have you?” At some point, we followers of Christ must determine if we believe Jesus is the truth (Jh. 14:6), or a liar. Jesus wasn’t saying ‘your Father will provide’ but rather, if you seek God first and His righteousness, THEN all your needs will be met.
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| A raven brings food to Elijah. |
Ahhh… so I go to church every week, say my set prayers every day, do a little ministry each week, and God will provide, right? Regrettably, God knows our hearts (Lk 16:15), our thoughts (Ps. 139:2) and our intentions (Heb. 4:12). We can’t get away with faking it because He knows if we are truly seeking His kingdom and righteousness first, and that is what we must do for His promise of provision to be fulfilled.
As for me, I am endeavoring to seek Him and His righteousness first with all my heart because I finally realize this world is but a fleeting moment, however, I often fall and wonder why He doesn’t give up on me. Then I return to the fact He loves me and I am His child; He picks me back up (Ps. 145:14) and I try again. One of these days I pray my faith will be complete, but until them, I will put my trust in Him to keep changing me (2Cor. 3:18).
As for His provision, unemployment was tough. We did what we were able- we stopped all non-essential activities, cut back where possible, said ‘no’ to almost all wants, and still had to spend more on bills than we received. BUT… We made it through, and that is thanks to God who somehow always seemed to stretch what we had to make all our payments, or bless us in unexpected ways so we still had our needs met. Perhaps the provision wasn’t always in my preferred way, but it was there none the less. As for the strike looming… it is one day at a time with the Lord. He is faithful and true, and my ‘task’, for lack of a better term, is to seek Him first, and I’ll leave the rest up to Him.
Jesus said, “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them…” is like “a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Lk. 6:47,48)
And our Rock is God (2Sm. 22:32)!!!
