“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:30-33
Reflect
It was one of those days which was destined to be a “no good, very bad day” from the start. I was running late, driving in a big city I didn’t know, dodging obstacles on the highway, and battling anxiety. It seemed as if every time I prayed for God to protect me from something, that exact thing would come to pass. At the end of the night I found myself voicing my frustration with tears in my eyes regarding all of God’s little “no’s” throughout the day. What I realized, with the help of my sweet husband, is that with each seemingly ignored request, God had chosen to answer with provision rather than protection.
I like to be comfortable. In fact, my love for comfort fights hard for the Lord’s throne in my heart. Most of us, if we’re honest, would like to forego the struggles and discomforts of life. We’d rather God just answer our prayers with a resounding “yes” so we can happily go about our life unscathed. But sometimes, God wants to draw us in with His presence and shock us with His provision in the midst of our difficult circumstances.
Truly, as Christians, we should long for whatever causes us to cling more to Jesus, whether it’s a stressful day or an ongoing trial. May we be a people who treasure Him more than our own physical or emotional comfort.
Pray
Father, thank You for using our circumstances to show us Your love and provision for us. Help us to trust You more and put off our love of comfort. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Your Turn
How has God provided for you in the midst of hard circumstances?