Matthew 6:31-33

Mornin', y'all! :D
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Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Mom and I went to a Bible study last night and the topic was "contentment". These verses came up, and we got to talking about George Mueller and how completely he depended on God, never asking anyone for anything or storing things up ahead of time "in case of a rainy day". That was the life God had called him to, and God proved himself faithful to George and the orphans he cared for over and over and over again.
But I got to wondering--does God call everyone to live *that* sort of life? Where does complete dependence on God meet the wisdom of planning and providing? So, with that question in mind, I pulled out my trusty concordance this morning and looked up the words like "prepare" and "provide" (and their various forms), and here's some of what I found:

• God provided the lamb for sacrifice in place of Isaac. (Genesis 22)
• God provided food and water for the Israelites in the desert. (Exodus 16:11-15, 17:1-7)
• The disciples were commanded not to take money or provision when Jesus sent them out by twos. (Matthew 10:9-10)
• And many other times when God alone provided for His people.

On the flip side:

• Husbands and fathers are to provide for their families. (1 Timothy 5:8)
• David planned and provided for the building of the temple, gathering the materials for Solomon to have it built. (1 Chronicles 22:5)
• The ant is held up as an example, gathering food in the summer and harvest to prepare for the winter. (Proverbs 6:6-8)
• The virtuous woman is praised for her industry in caring for her family, and her foresight in providing for them. (Proverbs 31:10-27)
• Paul worked as a tentmaker to provide for his ministry, and Joseph stored up grain, etc. in preparation for providing food during the famine.

But for all of these, though they were working, planning, preparing, providing, their trust was still in God alone. So, here is my conclusion: it's not so much a question of what you do, but where is your trust? You can plan out what you're going to eat and stock up on groceries and still be trusting God for your daily bread! :D
That's what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God...". Even in our planning and preparation, are we seeking Him? Do we trust Him, or do we trust our hardwork?

Father, thank You for the many, many blessings You have poured into my life! Even as I try to plan things out and prepare for the future, help me to keep my focus on You and my trust in You!

May the Lord bless you as you seek His kingdom and righteousness first!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
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