Where Does It Come From?

The world speaks a language that we have all learned. It has taught us that we should be full of anxiety any time our needs aren't met. We fret over these things without any reward for our fretting. We depend on the health of the economy, the bottom line of the business, the politicians we have just elected, the lottery or our rich uncles passing away and leaving us millions. The truth is that we should be full of anxiety if we are depending on these things. They are all absolutely unreliable.

The problem is that we don't know where it all comes from. We believe that we are in total control of our future. Thus, when this is challenged, we fear our future. The language of the world says that human beings are ultimately responsible for all the good and bad that happens in the world. Neither is true all of the time.

Of course, we could take the approach that nothing human beings do makes any difference and be just as wrong. We do make a difference.

But how does that difference originate? How is it that needs are met through human beings if we do not consider them as the source of all the good and bad?

To answer these questions we must go back to creation itself. God created. In this creation He used man to serve His desires. He works through His love to move people to do what He desires.

Let me give some examples. Our church borrowed several hundred thousand dollars to renovate the sanctuary lighting, sound and video systems. It included recarpeting and painting the halls. It included new heating and air units throughout the church.

Meanwhile a lady in the church who had worked very hard throughout her life decided she wanted her possessions to be given to the church upon her death. There was no reason to think that she would pass away any time soon and there was no reason to believe that the inheritance would amount to a great deal of money.

This lady passed away after the completion of the renovation project and left over $400 k to the church. It enabled the church to pay off the debt with the aid of the building fund. (We also discovered that the lady was 92 years old when she passed away! She had been telling everyone that she was much younger!)

Should I accept this as a windfall which had no force behind it? Or should I see that God's hand was there to make provision for our church? Of course, God works with people doing the things necessary to accomplish His will and provide for those who seek Him.

The ulitimate source of all that we need is God. He works to provide. He is called Jehovah jireh. (The Lord will provide. Genesis 22:14) Our greatest obligation is to seek His kingdom on earth and accept His righteousness upon ourselves so that we depend completely on the Lord who provides all that we need.

The world will never understand this language. He is Lord of all.

Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV) ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.