Wednesday, 18 June, 2003

Due to Pastor Al being out of town, we are providing archived devotions from July of 2000.



Text: Matthew 6:25-

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neithersow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith.



The rest of this passage will be used tomorrow.

There are many things that can cause us to forget the way of life within the Reign of God. Previously we looked a t "mammon," treasures, our piety....but now it is the simple everyday experience of worry or anxiety. That which consummes us through worrying...takes us away from the promise of God to be our God. Our worry can also be a sign of putting more weight and paying more allegiance to something than we need to be doing. The quality of life within the REign of God is more than the way we dress it up - clothes & things that we say we "have to have or else." Again, we come back to the character of our lives. It is so easy to be swept away by the worrys of things around us that we do not let ourselves be settled in the great gift of life that is emerging for us each day. Of course there will be concerns in every day that distress us and need our attention. But then again, they are not the end of all things. We are abundantly blessed with many "jewels" of life as simple as a smile and the person next to us. Jesus reference to the birds and the lilies is quite humbling. Sure we are of a "higher" level of being according to other creatures and parts of creation, and yet from their simple beauty - which we admire greatly - we can learn a bit more about the Creator who puts such things - and us - into place be just who we are.



Connection: A simple question for the worries for this day. Ask yourself why you are giving a situation in your life so much energy and letting it gain control of the moment. What are we trusting...what are we counting on...what are we expecting? How can we remind ourselve of our place before God and how will we let that be our foundation to easy the storms of the day that often bring worries?



Gracious God and Caring Lord, we know you hold us and will never let us go. Help us to be assured of your ever present loving hand that will uphold us in this day. Amen