Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

If I asked you, “What’s something everyone does?” Would you say, eat or drink or maybe die? They’d all be true! Everyone does those things. If you said, worry you’d also be right. Everyone worries. It’s just a part of life right?! Well Jesus says yes and no.

Matthew 6:27-28 & 30-33 (NLT) says, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing… And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith… Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” 

Jesus is saying that for those that truly know Him, worrying is an absolutely fruitless exercise. Let me put it to you like this. Would you ever sit in a restaurant and try to eat a bowl of tomato soup with a fork? No, you wouldn’t! It would be a fruitless exercise. Well, that is the value that Jesus puts on worrying. It accomplishes zip! Oops! Maybe I shouldn’t say that. It does accomplish something. It creates stress. It can help birth health problems such as ulcers, insomnia, and countless other medical issues through stress. It can lead to emotional outbursts and dysfunctions. It can lead to mental health issues. It can affect and ruin relationships. I guess worrying does accomplish a lot but not the kinds of things we want to be part of our life! Especially, something that diminishes your faith in God! And so, God says that worrying is a product of little or no faith! Jesus then tells us that if we will seek to know Him, and by doing so discover that He wants us to make His purpose, our life’s purpose, then we have no cause to worry. All the things that people worry about will be added to our lives.

Throughout my Christian walk, I have strived to be sincere in my heart with God. You can’t lie to or con God, though many try. To God, truth and sincerity matters. There are things in my life that I need such as meeting the needs of my family. There are also things I need in order to accomplish what I believe God wants me to do for Him.  We all have varying needs in relations to our families, our responsibilities, and the things we are called to do.  God’s word calls those needs equipping. God Word says He will “equip us for every good work.” We see that in 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) “And God is able
to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all
that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 

God knows that we have needs. He says that when we seek and put Him first-place in our life, all those things are added to our life. He will provide them as we ask. He cares about the details of our life. He simply doesn’t want the focus of our life to be about stuff. He wants our focus on His purpose, His love, and having a daily influence upon this world, touching others in some way, with the love of Jesus. That could happen in countless ways! Use your imagination! He wants us to use our God-given gifting and equipping to help us touch people’s live so they experience the love of God through you. When we do, then the promise of  2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT becomes ours! It says, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need for every good work and plenty left over to share with others.”

I’ve asked God to equip me in all areas of my life since my life’s entire purpose is not my job, but being the love of God to those around me. God knows that’s true. That purpose has transformed my character, my work ethic, my moral compass, my dependency upon God, and the love of God within me and flowing out from me. It is what keeps the transforming power of God constant. And consequently, He has met all my needs. I mean that! All of them.

With that in mind, know that we’ve never held back from the Lord. We have always tithed and brought offerings to the Lord. We’ve done our best to put Him first place in our life in serving Him and others. And so, we’ve simply made lists of what we’ve needed and posted those lists in our kitchen pantry, (a place we are in daily.) We don’t worry. We pray! We pray over them knowing and trusting that God would meet our needs. We exchange the list when the list has been fulfilled. The beautiful thing about those lists is that they are a testimony to the love and provision of God! God has met our every need beyond what we can ask or think.

Those that don’t know God, don’t know that He cares for them. And so they worry. Worry is the precursor to making unethical choices for fear that you won’t get what you need any other way. Doing things unethically will erode and destroy your life.

It’s time for you to come to know God and the extent of His love for you. He already gave you His best when He sent Jesus to die for your sins. Why would He withhold anything less from you. He is not a genie. He is a caring loving Heavenly Father. He instructs us that this glorious promise begins with “Seek first the Kingdom of God…” He wants you to have faith—not worry! Learn to be sincere with Him and examine your heart in asking. God isn’t against you having good and excellent things that contribute to a good life of living for and serving Him. He is only against those things having you and leading you away from Him. Seek Him and be faithful to His purpose and you’ll discover this to be true for you!

Psalms 84:11 (NLT) “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” 

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt 

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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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http://TimBurt.org

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