Not one of us who has prayed has not had to fight the tendency to just present the things to God that we think we need. As we mature in Christ, we are made to realize how foolish those requests were and how God in His mercy and care did not give us what we thought was necessary. Look at this example from Jesus:
Matthew 7:7–11 (ESV) — 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
There are times in life when we get so confused about what we need and present it to God thinking that He will surely give it to us, but as we go through life we are made to realize those things not only were not needed but they could very likely do us harm. God in His grace does not grant us things that are not good for us.
Very often, we get overwhelmed with what we think we need even to the point of being discontent with what we have and even discontent with the way that God is handling things on our behalf. Hold on! That is a sign of misplaced trust and love. As in the parable of the soils in Matthew 13, we can often get caught up with the “cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” that we begin to see our spiritual maturity beginning to be choked out. Therefore, we need to take heed to the warning with promise below and keep our focus on where it should be.
Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV) — 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
1 Timothy 6:6–8 (ESV) — 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
God will take care of all we need in His way. We need not fuss and worry. In fact, one of the things that God does in taking us through the ups and downs of life is to teach us to be content. Contentment is a great virtue that is brought about by the Holy Spirit along with the great promises in the Bible. Take note of how Paul learned to be content and rely upon the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ for the times of prosperity as well as the times of trial when he had to sort out what he really needed.
Philippians 4:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Based upon what Paul had experienced of God’s grace in always providing for what he really needed, he reminded the Philippian church to know and rely upon God to supply their needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. What a great promise!
Philippians 4:19 (ESV) — 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Here’s the bottom line about trusting God for all you need.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) — 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This is a great reminder but the admonition begins with a “but” so let us go back to the beginning of the teaching on God taking care of all our needs so we can be free to seek Him first in everything.
Matthew 6:19–24 (ESV) — 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Just as we saw in Hebrews 13, we need to push away the tendency to trust in uncertain riches. In fact, although we think nobody will really know, it’s quite evident by the way we conduct our lives because we cannot trust God and be trusting in our money at the same time. Thank God for what He provides! Instead of trusting the money, trust God for wisdom to be a good steward with what He has provided.
As a great teacher, Jesus doesn’t stop there but goes on to illustrate what trusting Him instead of your money looks like:
Matthew 6:25–30 (ESV) — 25 “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? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
As He draws the illustration to a close, He gets real practical in the way He digs into our tendency to not trust in Him but our own abilities along with the ways of the world. That only leads to worry and much anxiety.
Matthew 6:31–34 (ESV) — 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Just trust Him and pray that He would help you be content with what you have and content with His care for you. In the meantime, focus on His promises, as there are several quoted in this article.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
