What Do We Seek?
- Rest In His Divine Provision For Every Need
Written by Eileen R. Jacobs
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” - Matthew 6:26
It is the last day of the year and I am cozy warm by the fireplace watching out my window as winter is dressing my front yard with a beautiful, white blanket of snow. What is fascinating to me is that even though the snow is coming down quickly and accumulating rather nicely, it looks as though someone stepped outside and freshly sprinkled bird seed all over the front lawn. There are 12 or so small birds milling about having a bountiful banquet. One would think that the accumulating snow would bury their provision, yet it appears as if there is an unending supply. My dogs have scattered the birds a few times to bark at passing cars along the fence-line, but the birds just return and continue having lunch. They have been there for the past few hours.
Jesus spoke about birds and how His Father feeds them and takes care of them, providing for their needs. This beautiful winter scene out my window is evidence of that. Yet Jesus tells us that we are so much more important to God. How much more will He take care of our needs? In this time of economic insecurity, the children of God need to be reminded that our provision is not dependent on natural sources, but on the supernatural and unending supply of our gracious God. Even though Jesus told us not to be worried about food or clothing in the practical sense, I believe He meant something even deeper that touches the very heart of God's ultimate provision for those who would believe Him and actively seek for the more complete provision that He has already provided. I want to encourage you to study and meditate on this passage in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus is speaking against anxiety over our life needs. The real message, though, is what Jesus doesn't say. What is the opposite of anxiety? It is REST! Are you totally at rest? What do you worry about? Paying bills, providing for your family, staying healthy, finding healing, etc.? These are the primary needs that most of us find ourselves overtaken with. Jesus says that when we are worried about these things we have “little faith.” (Matt. 6:30)
“Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?” - Matthew 6:31
How do we know whether or not we are filled with worry? I, myself, have spent more time than I care to admit in denial. I've said many times, “I'm not worried, I’m just expressing my concern!” But Jesus says, “Do not worry then, saying...” In the King James Version it reads, “Therefore take no thought, saying...” In other words, we may be overtaken with thoughts of worry, but the moment they come out of our mouth, we have just declared them as truth. Jesus knows that what comes out of our mouths has the power to convict us of lack of faith and keep us bound instead of releasing our faith. I have heard myself say something like this: “Great...the car needs new tires! We can't afford new tires right now. I don't know where the money is going to come from. I guess we need to start praying harder and trust God!” Though they may sound like a declaration of faith, those words are not true words of faith. We often find ourselves saying similar things that reveal our worried condition. We must remember that God's Word is truth, not what we see, feel, hear or declare. In these times, we will be immediately tempted to believe that we have to “do” something, yet this conviction is not one of faith. Even prayer and trying to have faith can become an act of self-righteousness, if we make it a “work.”
In the next verse, Jesus alludes to what constitutes “big faith.” The secret to “big faith” is in believing that God knows you have needs.
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” - Matthew 6:32
Have you ever been caught “eagerly seeking” the things you need? Oops...me too! Something happens in our hearts when we become convinced that God cares about our every need; not only that, but that He has already made provision for those who believe in Him. So friend, no more condemnation...let’s happily believe that our Heavenly Father knows our needs better than we do. Those who do not believe God will go after all these things for themselves. That is very unfortunate, because our Great God wants to provide all of our needs; not only spiritual, but for our soul and our physical needs as well. He wants us to live a life of rest, in communion with Him, in childlike dependence upon Him for our every need.
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:33
The Lord tells us not to seek earthly things, even though we need them. His promise is to provide every earthly thing we need if we will seek something else instead. Seek His kingdom and the righteousness that is His. My friends, this is great news because both of these things God has already provided as free gifts in His Son, Jesus Christ. All we have to do is receive them. His kingdom is not some thing in yonder far. It is very near. His kingdom dwells in the hearts of each person who has believed in Him for the salvation of their souls. This is your awesome relationship with the God who is living on your insides, dear believer! If you have not yet considered the great death He died on the cross to make you free from the penalty of your life sins, believe Him today that He has already taken the punishment for you and wants you to be free from the guilt and fear of never being able to please God. He has loved you by paying to God the debt that you owed for your life sins and He wants to have a real relationship with you built on love and trust. He has taken out of the way everything that has separated you from God. Will you believe it? Seek this first...seek to have a relationship with the God of our universe through His Son, Jesus Christ. If you are already a believer, then cultivate (continuously seek) this relationship with The Father and Jesus, through the Holy Spirit who indwells you. Endeavor to know Him even more. Everyday, seek a deeper revelation of your best friend through His Word. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in His Word. True friendship is built on an intimate knowledge and understanding of one another and a deep desire for unity. This is the secret to a successful marriage, too. The Bible says that you are already unified with Him completely. You see, your Lord knows every intimate detail about you. Psalm 139 tells how completely He knows you. May we hunger to know Him completely too. Don't you want to know the One to whom you are eternally united and who you'll be spending eternity with? Remember that your eternity began the moment you believed in Christ. The second thing we are to seek is His righteousness. In the Greek it reads, “the righteousness of Him.” There was a divine exchange that happened at the cross. He traded His perfection, His righteousness.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21
He gave us His righteousness and took from us our sin, so He could receive the punishment for it in His body, that we might escape the punishment in ours. He didn't even involve us in the decision. He did it because of His great love for us. We have a marvelous Savior! Now, we are to depend on His character and His quality of being right and just. We can depend on every blessed thing that He is because of the indwelling of His Spirit within us. We do not depend on ourselves to produce right living or right being or even right believing. Our worthiness to expect anything from God is a privilege we receive by faith in Jesus who is our worthiness. His total obedience, His total righteousness has made us worthy to receive from God all that has been promised. We receive everything that Christ is and has and does by faith simply on the basis of His virtue, not our own. What a huge relief! God has gone to great lengths to offer you all the provision you will ever need through His Son, Jesus Christ. His original intention with humanity was that we experience such a unity with Him, that we live our life in full dependence on Him for absolutely everything. His love is so full that He must give of His abundance, but He will never force you to receive from Him. You may be asking, “Why does He want to provide everything for me?” Simply because He loves you! It is the same love that motivates a mother or a father to spoil their children. This is how He receives the glory in your life, through your life, and magnified to the world by your testimony. If in anything, you are depending on yourself, He receives no glory. May we depend on the One who has promised and who is faithful to keep all of His promises to us. As we discover more of His grace and begin to trust Him to live His life through us, our lives will become a billboard-size advertisement for His glory. When we are connected to Jesus' life, we have everything we could ever possibly need. With more abundance than the birds outside my window on a cold and snowy day, God lavishes upon His children His provision and His never ending supply in Christ Jesus when we trust Him to do so. He really is that good!
Now that, dear friends, is GRACE!
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” - Revelation 5:12-13
written by
Eileen R. Jacobs (February 2010)
Copyright © 2010 Eileen Jacobs Ministries. All rights reserved.
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