"Therefore, take no thought, saying what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?...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."
Matthew 6:31-33
It so wonderful to remember that nothing can separate the believer from the love of Christ. He loves us in the midst of tribulation, distresses, famine, nakedness, peril or sword! most of which I have never yet encountered. No matter what the tribulation or distresses are, the focus has to be on God and His righteousness. I was reminded today to stop flitting around, seeking what ministry I can have in someone's life here...or there...God will bring the opportunities for ministry along my path as I am focusing on Him. It does little good to look good on the outside (trying to please people by constantly "meeting their needs", perhaps) if I am not first focusing wholly upon and pleasing God on the inside. This is just something that the Lord has reminded me of in the past several days. He has a way of working in us very individually, doesn't He? God knows me so much better than I know myself. Let's be so in tune with Him that when He prods us in a particular area, we are ready to recognize where we've turned aside, confess it and go on with the Lord!
The Christian life is one of such simplicity when it is in tune with the Saviour. I wrote a line of a chorus once, based upon Ephesians 2:10,
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." The first time that the Lord helped me understand that verse it was pointed out that the word "workmanship" was "poiema" (spelling?) which is where we get our word
poem. The question I have written in the margin of my Bible there is,
Am I walking in the path wherein He designed this poem? We are His poem!
The chorus was only ever partly written but it comes to my heart often when I consider the "well worn way" that my feet are to be taking daily. "A poem for Jesus; His workmanship are we; the world reads each line daily, each word they see." The most important One who sees our
poem is the Lord Jesus Christ, but our children, grandchildren, neighbors, co-workers and others are reading it as well.
I am thankful that nothing can separate us from Christ's love and that He guides our feet in the path that we should take. My prayer is that I consider Him first, knowing that "all these things" will be added to my life as I am seeking the things of "His righteousness".
Whether it's strewn with flowers and sweet;
sun-flecked, or with rocks, and dim;
I'd rather have Jesus to guide my feet
than to travel the path without Him.
