No needs for this day

I posted this once - it didn't work. I had to rewrite it and try again, so if you get two posts with two different versions, that's what happened!

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34

I love The Message translation of this scripture - put into the language of today, it makes it so clear:

Steep your live in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You will find all your everyday human concerns will be met. "Give your entire attentions to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up over what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

The question that comes to mind is this -Are you measuring your God by your circumstances, or your circumstances by your God. See, God isn't limited by your circumstances - nor the extent of his work in your life contained only to what you can see. But so often we start looking at what is in front of us, we fail to look up, and the results are at best a day filled with worries about our life.

However, God's word to us is this - view your circumstances not by what you see in front of you right now, but through the lens of God reality - a God who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). A God who is not a God of possibilities, but impossibilities. A God who made the heavens and the earth by his great power and outstretched are. Nothing is too hard for him (Jeremiah 32:17).

View your circumstances not through what you can do with your human hands, but what God can and already is doing - for our Father knows what we need before we ask him (Matt. 6:8) and is already working on your behalf. A God who already knows the plans he has for you (Jer. 29:11).

View your circumstances not through what you are able to provides, by through God-provision - who even clothes the lilies with splendor. A God who is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made - who gives all their food at the proper time - who opens up his hands and satisifies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:13-16).

My friends, God loves to provide for you. He loves to enter into your circumstances in ways you would not expect and in ways that are beyond what we can imagine. He loves to give us all - from the most basic needs to luxurious blessings. He loves to do this for us when we step out in faith because it brings him glory.

But here's the thing - he wants us to believe he will do it. Sarah Young, author of the devotional, had this to say today - "What U an able to accomplish for and through you is directly proportional to how much you depend on Me." It is not that he can't when we don't depend, it's that often time we don't let him fix our circumstances because we are trying to do it ourselves. Or we don't pay attention to what God might be doing right now, so we miss that he is providing.

God not only wants to provide, but he wants us to know he has provided, praise him for the provision, and to give glory to his name. He doesn't want to do the work and have yourself pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Isaiah 42:8 says, "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." It is his great pleasure to provide and to receive the glory due his name.

I leave you with this last word - again from Sara Young - "God's plan is unfolding before you. Sometimes the road you are traveling seems blocked, or it opens up so painfully slowly that you must hold yourself back. Then, when the time is right, the way before you suddenly clears - through no effort of your own. What you have longed for and worked for I present to you freely, as pure gift. You will feel awed by the ease with which I operate in the world, and you glimpse My power and My glory."

Look around and see what God is doing - he will do something in your time that you would not believe - don't miss it! And share his glory with all those around you for the work that he has done. In fact, share some praise right now by telling us of a time when God clearly stepped into your circumstances.

Today's blog was posted by Carol Bartels