Everybodys Having a Hard Time
As I rode up Cherry Street at 25 miles an hour, I noticed an old gentleman walking who is prominent in our community. He used to be very active. I noticed the slowness of his stride and remembered when he used to walk with real pep in his step.
Autumn is coming. Winter is around the corner and for some of us the autumn of our life has arrived too quickly. I love spring and fall. They are my favorites. I love the colors. I love the chill in the air in the early morn.
But then, the fall brings the shedding of the leaves. Oh but the spring brings the resurrection! If you know the Creator and the cycles of life, you rejoice no matter what the season.
Well, everybody’s having a hard time. The economy is sagging, the housing market is in a valley, industries are cutting back and well, it is a difficult time for the common man. I imagine more that one person reading this article has been affected by the cost of gasoline, the rising food costs or the loss of a job or overtime.
My mainstay in all of this is found in Matthew 6:33. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This verse and many others like it get me through the down days.
Notice the promise here. If I seek first that which glorifies God and is of benefit for His kingdom, He will take care of me. “All these THINGS…”, food, shelter, clothing, health and on and on, He WILL supply.
This verse comes at the end of a wonderful chapter in Matthew. Beginning in verse 19 it says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6 continues, “24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
“26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
“31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
WOW… did you notice all the comforting truth for the one who will put God first? It is wonderful!
Will you join me and millions of others who are trusting God during this difficult time? Do not place your faith in the economy, the government or any other temporal entity?
Pastor Mike Padgett