Pastor’s Ponderings April 2024
‘When God talks, what will you do?’
“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. … God clothes the grass of the field. … 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 6:25-33).
When people talk, what do you hear; what do you do?
In the news, you hear how the government is managing or mismanaging money, and we hear ‘There will be a tax increase’ or ‘Politicians are only thinking of themselves.’ In the news, we hear that more people are working, how more people are scamming and stealing from whomever they can, and we hear ‘Things are going to cost more’ or ‘You can trust anyone these days’.
When God talks, what do you hear; what will you do?
When God says, ‘Walk by the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16), will you serve others (1 Peter 4:10)? When God says, ‘Do not be afraid’ (Matthew 28:5), do you ‘Trust in the Lord, and lean not on your own understanding’ (Proverbs 3:5)? When God says, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God’ (Matthew 6:33), do you consider how God is taking care of birds and flowers and gives us faith, so we are not so anxious about the things happening all around us?
The world is causing our itchy ears to itch, and we’re scratching. The devil is whispering in our ears, ‘If things keep going the way things are, you’re not going to lose everything important to you. What if you get sick? What if you lose your job? What if the stocks don’t rebound? Our fears tell us, ‘You can’t trust anyone today. People are scheming and scamming and stealing. If God loves you, why are you feeling so bad? The world and our human desires are listening to men, and we are wondering if God is among us or not (Exodus 17:7).
A President might say, ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself’ (Franklin D. Roosevelt). A Gardener might say, ‘April showers bring May flowers.’ An Economist might say, ‘We’re in a recession.’ A Pastor might say, ‘God’s Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). A Reporter might say, ‘It was another bad day in the stock market.’ When people talk, what do you hear?
When God talks, what will you do? God says, ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches (Jeremiah 9:23). God has called us to make disciples, to serve in His kingdom, to trust in His promises. God sent His only Son to save us from our sin, and He did. Have you heard Jesus say, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this" (John 11:25-26)?
