I placed many things above God – my career, a business startup, seeking “enough”, and even activities that could be perceived as good. A storm festered that threatened each of these and deep fear crept in, so I charged on daily to slay whatever beast appeared to threaten their existence. I worried anytime I wasn’t on pace, and even when I was. I was not walking beside still waters.
Jesus taught the importance of not allowing even the most critical needs to cause us worry. He assured us our Heavenly Father already knows our needs, and to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and our needs will be met. God first, me second. Wired to survive and make our own way, embracing this 180-degree shift is instinctively difficult, a major shift but life-changing.
Jesus asked big but then provided, healed, gave direction, and even subdued a storm with His words. This is the same God who dwells among us today. He asks for our hearts and minds before all else, and compassionately and lovingly meets our needs.
It may not feel like God is meeting our needs when our immediate desires don’t materialize. But while we gravitate toward the material, God points to the eternal, and so our desires differ.
Therefore trusting God isn’t natural. He may provide differently than we currently desire, but our desires will ultimately align with His as we persistently seek Him and transform to become more like Him. So the likelihood of achieving our desires grows as we more closely reflect Him. This divine alignment is foundational to peace.
Romans 8:28 tells us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This is not a lottery winning promise. God informs us He works all things for His good, which ultimately means our good. His best for us, we just don’t grasp that goodness yet. Ephesians 3:20 tells us it could be immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Try picturing that – it’s ours for the taking.
God is clear. Seek Him first, and our needs will be met. He is bigger than all stressors. Embracing this isn’t natural, it’s supernatural and a transformational process. We go deeper on this tomorrow.
Which of your desires would you be willing to turn over to God to discover whether they are His desires?
Scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Or single cubit to your height? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin . Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Luke 11:5-13 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”