Trusting in God
Trusting in God to provide all our needs, requires knowing a loving and caring “Giver of gifts” and Creator.
***Note: This final day of Lent, I was determined to figure out the glitch that has been preventing me from posting from my home computer - Praise God! I figured it out - 1 hour past midnight, but, success!!!
The Last Day of Lent ~ Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent ~ 4/1/23
No, that’s not an April Fool’s Day joke . . . technically, today is the last day of Lent, tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Passion Week. In fact, its also called, Passion Sunday. The upcoming week is Holy Week. While the season of Lent has wound down, we are not asked to stop our Lenten practices, but rather, asked to tighten our belts, heighten our prayer time and continue to sacrifice in meaningful ways during the week of the Passion of Christ. Each day focuses on an aspect of the journey of Christ in a much more focused light – from His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, throughout the entire humiliating and painful journey that could have culminated in His crucifixion and death, but moves into Easter weekend with His glorious resurrection from the dead.
Today’s theme is Trusting in God. As we see Jesus make His way through this Passion week, He has nothing of earthly ‘value’, no watch to keep time nor date of what is happening, no daytimer or planner, no home, no car; He even ‘finds’ a donkey to enter Jerusalem, in order to fulfill prophecy. He had a simple garment, and even that was removed during the scourging. He was just about naked when He was crucified. We cannot take anything into the next life. Yet, as we go through this one, we worry sooo much about things, and meals and the keeping up of our homes and cars and appliances . . . so much worry.
There does seem to be a trend of minimalization and simplification, today, but not necessarily following Jesus’ example, nor trusting in God for all our provisions. I think it is more as a matter of course of events – we are much busier than ever before, and the time it takes to manage a house full of clutter and things has become unrealistic – so get rid of the stuff. But, what are we replacing it with? Are we working harder to buy more expensive things, that require more upkeep? . . . to keep us working more to earn these privileges?
My mother’s favorite scripture was ‘the lilies of the field’ from Matthew’s gospel:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:25-34
Even though I consider her a saint, I know she wrestled with that ‘Depression era-lack’ mentality, where she refused to throw away much of anything. “It just might come in handy” or “As soon as I throw it out, I will need it!” I understand the dilemma, ‘what to keep?/what to purge?”, but if at the core you can remember to try more to trust in God, than in yourself to provide, you will be on the right track. She had six children, was a ‘stay-at-home-mom’, was thrifty and resourceful, we never went without anything of necessity and enjoyed our share of ‘wants’, as well. She lived out this scripture and passed it on to us; it is well impressed onto my heart.
She also lived out the balance between providing for the needs of her family as a loving wife and mother, and, trusting God to provide for what we needed. I remember her rummaging through envelopes in a drawer she kept her housekeeping funds in, and hearing on occasion, “The Lord will provide.” While money was not talked about, I understood enough to know that the budget was strained and that she was hoping for a miracle. And, sure enough, a check would come in the mail for exactly what she needed, or even a little more. She would shed a tear and thank God and be on with her day. It was like watching a dance between her (I need) and God (I provide). That’s how I learned to trust in God at a very young and impressionable age.
I hope that as you journey through this week, that you will see how much Jesus trusted His Heavenly Father, despite the unfathomable human pain and suffering and His unwavering adherence to God’s will for His life; that you will find courage to trust God with your life and turn to Jesus for strength to endure your trials.
I wish you continued blessings on your faith journey.