Well, we welcome you back again to another podcast this week and really stand on its own, but if you listen to last week's podcast, you know, that one of the things we talked about was not being satisfied with snacks or what would be determined as snacks on the word of God, like a little by line, a little clip or whatever, but spending time in the word of God. And that was recently brought home to me the verses from Hebrews that talk about the word of God being active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing and dividing into the deeps of my the depths of my heart and my life. we were in church and our worship pastor was opening the worship service and he read verses from the sermon on the mount, verses that I've heard, verses that I probably have preached on before and what struck me was because of some things in my own life where I had made some choices, poor choices that left me feeling a degree of shame and causing anxiety in my life. he read verses that awakened my heart in ways that I was surprised. in the sermon on the mount, the sixth chapter, Jesus says, "Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious about your life." Well, that was exactly what I was feeling when I came into worship that particular Sunday. I was anxious. And then he goes on to talk about the liies of the field. He goes on to talk about the birds of the air and everything else. And he says in those things, I tell you, don't worry about any of those things. And then the verses that we're familiar with, but seek first his the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow be anxious for itself. And it was like I'm going to say this, Suzi, and it's not true. It was like I'd never seen those verses before.
Yeah.
Because it was my life and the reality of what I was going through intersecting with the word of God at that moment that I believe the spirit used to stir my heart in ways that caused me to go, well, either you believe this stuff or you don't, Jim.
Well, what do you think God is saying there when he says, you know, he talks about the birds of the air and says, "Your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
Yeah, I think he's talking about two basic things of life. So, again, going back to when Jesus delivered the sermon in the culture that he delivered it to. It was a highly agricultural type society that was there. And so what are two of the most basic needs that we have? Food to eat and clothing to wear to protect ourselves.
And so he takes those two very basic things that people would tend to and still today probably in certain situations in the world what they're concerned with is what are they going to put on the table for their family to eat? What are they going to air? Are they going to be clothed? Are they going to be sheltered? Those are basic things. Those aren't luxuries. Those are basic realities of life. And I think Jesus is saying, listen, you worry about basic things. Do you not think that our heavenly father is capable of handling those things? He does it for the birds of the air. He does it for the flowers of the field. And you're more important than either of those things.
And I imagine that there are people that are listening Yeah,
that will say, well, what about all those people in the world that are hungry and don't have access to food?
And I would say it's it really is hard to understand. I mean, it really is. I mean, it's I think that there are people who starve to death.
Yeah. And is it I mean, oh man, I'm probably going to stir up a hornets's nest here, but oh well. Is it that God hasn't supplied or that man has broken the way God supplies.
Yeah. And I would say it's the latter of the two. that man has in the brokenness of this world, which I know is a phrase that becomes kind of a catchphrase for all things, but in the brokenness of this world, there are realities that God allows because he gives us the ability to make choices and sometimes our choices lead to devast. dating results in people's lives.
And I think not to gloss over that, but that would take hours and days and months to even begin to touch that topic. But I think it's important to note when he says, and you've already read it, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. the audience that he's speaking to is worried about food and shelter and clothing and all that stuff. And not that those things aren't necessary, they are. Is it that God is saying you're you are after you are running after all these things but you're not running after me and if you seek me these things will be added to you. Not like an elixir like if you know if you worship God then all of a sudden you'll be clothed in perfect clothing and perfect shelter. I don't He's not saying that but he's saying we're seeking
the wrong thing.
The wrong thing.
Yeah. And there is a sense of this needs to become the priority. of your life that you would seek my kingdom and my righteousness and trust me.
And you know there have been a lot of things in the last year. we've watched a lot of many of our friends go through difficult situations and we've we have felt anxiety. they have experienced anxiety, confusion, wondering what God is up to. And I don't know. I feel like I'm right on the edge of having this click into to my brain and my heart. And that is if I seek him, if I'm after him with the same intensity that I'm after a solution or a strategy, will my life be different because I'm seeking him first.
Yeah. And I would say my hope and prayer would be that it is.
Yeah.
the situation that I was referring to in my life is still there and I don't know what all the repercussions of I got scammed. Let's just be honest. I got scammed and I don't know what the repercussions are. Now, I'm going to do what I can to minimize those repercussions.
But at the same time, I don't know. But to your point, Suzi,
what hit me on that Sunday morning was no, I can't focus on controlling all those things that are beyond my control. I can focus on him. Yeah.
And that he will take care of me. I don't know whether that means I go through hard times, difficult times, or whatever, but he will take care of me.
See, the thing is what we want cuz I, as you're talking, I can feel it. What I want is for God to fix the situation,
right?
I don't know if I want more of him. I want him to do something more.
Yeah. And that's a big that's a big point of clarification for all of us. Do I want him to do more? Well, yeah, but do I want him more?
And that's a hard question that needs to be asked and needs to be answered. it's in some ways it's the same dilemma that Job faced in his life because Satan's belief when he went into the presence of God was nobody will love you for just you.
Yeah.
They'll only love you for the things you can do.
Well, that true.
Well, and so God says, "Well, we'll strip away everything that I can do for this man and we'll watch and we'll see."
Mhm.
And but that's that was the that was the battle, the duel, if you will, that Job faced in his life because Satan believed that nobody would love God for just who he is.
Wow. That's, I've heard that a million times, but right now sitting here, I'm struck in a new way of
that whole scenario of do I love God for who he is, what he has done in sending his son and being in relationship with me or do I love what he will do and that's what I want him is to do. I don't want him to just be. It doesn't feel and even Job wrestled with that,
right?
And he wanted God to do or make sense of it and then God I mean that whole
passage where God asks him those questions is just wow.
Yeah. And so I would say that is a question that's worth pondering and struggling this week and beyond this week. It is for me and it is for I hope for you all as listeners too is do I want God for who he is? or do I want him for what he can do in my life? And when I say do in my life, I'm not talking about salvation cuz that's inherent in who he is. He loved me enough to send his son to die for me. And so everything that I have is wrapped up in who Christ is. But do I love him for who he is?
Just a little aside, which maybe is a good way to conclude, is in the culture that we're living in right now, I think we're beginning to see, and I hope this doesn't sound out of left field. But I think we're beginning to see that the Christian mindset is becoming less and less acceptable. And I think in a sit in situations like this, we need him more than we need him to do something. We need him to be that foundation of everything because the world is screaming at us. We don't believe, we don't need God, we don't all this. And so we have to have like we said in the last week's episode or podcast is that we need to be foundationally secure on who he is more than what he does and I think that's going to come into play more and more.
Yeah, I think you're right. We hope you have a great week.