“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Dear friend,
Welcome back to the blog. Todays post is going to be in the form of a letter. A letter to anyone that needs a word of encouragement.
Today marks the beginning of a new week. Which means, you've just made it through the first week of the new year. Hopefully before last year ended or in the first few days of the new year, you prayerfully wrote down some goals you wanted to accomplish this year. And hopefully you've already began to accomplish or implement them the last 7 days.
If the year started great for you, let me be one of the first to say 'congratulations'. If it started rough, I'm sorry. You see the thing I'm learning is that God has different seasons for our lives. If your current season is easy and fun enjoy it. If it is has been a difficult one so far, try to be patient and learn the lesson(s) God has for you.
Wherever you're at in life right now, God has something for you. So many times we fail to live in the present; we're either looking at the past, or looking to the future. But sometimes in both of these situations, we fail to see what God is doing now - in the present.
This week I was struck with a realization as I daydreamed about a different future than my present one. What if nothing about my future changed? What if the lofty dreams and expectations I've already placed on my future never happened? What if the painful stories from my past never go away? Would I still trust God? Would I be content? Would I enjoy today?
Of course, if you're a Christian, you know that there's a great future - one beyond this life. One that our mere earthly minds cannot comprehend or truly appreciate yet. But in the mean time, I feel like saying God still wants us to enjoy today as we wait.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:25-26 ESV
Sometimes it's hard to see beauty where we're at because we spend so much time worrying about things or day dreaming about the future.
But Matthew records the words of Jesus and it's not a question or suggestion, its a command. Don't worry, just trust and wait!
And in the meantime, seek Him wholeheartedly (Seek Him first) and then everything else will follow.
Dear Lord, please help us all. Help my friends and I realize that we can just rest in your promises. We don't need to be anxious or worried about our future, but we can just enjoy now. Please help us to enjoy the beauty in our current blessings or the see beauty in our current sufferings. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Stay Blessed,
G