[ Today's Readings ]
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
The question of what we seek first starts in the abstract. But it hits home quickly.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Who of us does not worry about tomorrow? Of course some take a lackadaisical, hakuna matata sort of approach to life. This doesn't work either. It winds up merely putting off the worry until it comes to a head.
Is it really about not preparing what we will eat, drink, and wear for the future? Should we really not ensure that our barns contain enough? The trick is to take these preparations even while entrusting our concerns to God.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
When we do this we can encounter circumstances which would otherwise be hugely frustrating without being frustrated. We can face challenges even to our day to day survival without really having to worry about surviving.
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:5-7).
This allows us to receive even the discipline of the LORD...
Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.
... as mercy designed to draw us back to him.
“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”
We are quick to turn to sacred poles and idols. We find ways to ignore the messengers the LORD sends to warn us. But we see that even in this his mercy is greater than our sinfulness. In this knowledge we can have peace.
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