Luke 12:22-34  You will not regret the couple of minutes you took to read this absolutely precious passage!  

Here’s a link if you need one: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2012%3A22-34&version=NLT

Not a huge fan of reading? You can watch the blog on YouTube through this link: https://youtu.be/mhfuPexznMk

I cannot count the times this little sermon from Jesus has reached off the pages of scripture and spoken directly to my heart. Years ago I decided I wanted more of Gods word in me and I started memorizing scripture passages rather than just verses (context really does make a difference) Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 were some of the first I learned. I selected them at the recommendation of another woman who had memorized a LOT who pointed out that this passage was the biggest collection of Jesus’ words.  She reasoned that when memorizing the word of God, a great place to start were the spoken words of the incarnate word of God (which just means God in human flesh – Jesus) 

I am so thankful that this passage is still stored in my brain.  These days if I tried to recite it, I’d skip around a bit and probably miss a word here and there, but I have it in my heart and, as a result, it comes to mind often.  

When Jesus reduced himself to living as a human he experienced the things that we do.  He felt our worries and he understood how all consuming they could be.  

I’m so grateful for his response.  He could have just said, God is sovereign, what’s wrong with you, get over it.  And, to be fair, he kind of does, but he gives us the reason we don’t have to worry.  Our Heavenly Father who notices and provides food for little birds, who makes flowers captivatingly beautiful even though they live for mere days, treasures us. We are valuable to him.  We aren’t just something he made out of boredom. We aren’t his playthings.  He cares about us.  The longer you dwell on it the less sense it makes.  There are currently something like eight billion of us on the planet.  He treasures each of us? He wants each of us to know him? It’s crazy.  But Jesus, who is God and knows his heart, says he cares.  And he does a great job of caring for things that aren’t as precious to him as we are, so we really can trust him.

I absolutely love the way Jesus asks, Can worry add a minute to your life? 

Good point Jesus.  As sermon topics go, it doesn’t get much more real than this.  It’s hard to think of a topic that could relate to more people. Worry steals our joy and accomplishes nothing good. But how do we take this information and let it change our lives? It’s great that he says, Don’t worry, God cares, but how does that pay my phone bill or buy my groceries?  How do I translate, “God cares,” to “I trust him and I’m not stressed”?

By getting to know him better and better.  Knowing my kids love me is precious.  It makes me smile and lifts my heart on a heavy day, but that doesn’t stop me worrying.  But if I knew that the wisest, wealthiest and most powerful person in the universe deeply, personally cared about me, that comforts me differently.  That person can help me, and (when they aren’t helping the way I am asking) I know they love me and I know they are wise so I can infer that there is a good reason why they have chosen not to do what I’m asking. 

As we get to know God, as we go through difficult situations with him, we watch him move at the best time. We watch him accomplish things we never knew we needed for our future to unfold.  We watch him pull the pieces of a thousand frayed and frazzled rags together and suddenly make something beautiful.  We see how wise he is.  We see how powerful he is. We see how he is always in control and we begin to learn to trust him.  It’s a process, one entirely worth entering.  Spend time getting to know God (just as we are doing in this book).  It will teach you who he is and that will help you to trust more and worry less. 

That is how we seek his kingdom.  We make a priority of knowing him.  In the journey of trust and growing in the knowledge of God, you will see people in need and you will have opportunities to trust God by helping others when you can’t even help yourself.  Take those opportunities! Watch God be faithful! Make God the greatest priority in your life and the treasure of knowing him will be the one thing you CAN take with you. I truly believe that heaven will be even more precious for those who know and love him well. Imagine an incredible all inclusive vacation somewhere beautiful, and then imagine the same thing with the people you love the most to be with. All of Gods children  are going to find peace and joy and fulfillment in his kingdom, but those who know who it is they trust will enjoy it all the more because of their relationship with him.  Our willingness to abandon our temporary treasures on earth when he asks us gives him opportunities to show us more of himself.  That is a very valuable commodity both in this life and in the redeemed and restored world to which we look forward after this life.  So let your effort and attention move from the cares of your life, to the joys of life with God.  It’s good to give him our cares, but once we have, let’s give our energy to pursuing him.  He knows what we need before we ask!