the one thing needful...

Tonight a friend came over and brought up the question of whether God really provides or not, given the number of destitute people in the world. We talked for awhile, and after she left, a couple of verses came to mind that I saw in somewhat of a new light (or maybe just a better light).

In the "do not worry" passage, Jesus said of food and clothing "but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well..." And what really stood out in my mind was the "seek first His kingdom" part. He promised to provide, but it was also contigent on our focus. Not that God is up there manipulating us by withholding material needs, but I think Jesus was pointing out that the most important thing for us to spend our time thinking of and pursuing is Him. We worry about our physical needs, but He wants us to be consumed with following Him. I think He's saying that when our first goal is spiritual--to know and obey Him--then all that other stuff will be provided to us as a matter of course. It reminds me of the whole Mary-Martha scene where Martha is buzzing around and Jesus says that Mary, who is simply sitting at His feet listening to Him, has found the "one thing needful". Physical things matter a little, but when our hearts and minds are fixed on Jesus then we are the sort of people God is looking to inhabit, the people who are part of His kingdom. And in His kingdom, there is no lack of resources. "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us, how will he not also freely give us all things?" ( Romans 8:32)

My bible study leader, John, made a very interesting point once that has stuck with me--we take it for granted that God will just provide all the time, but do we really trust Him? We can choose to live in His kingdom--a life of faith and dependence on Him--or we can choose, even as His children, to depend on ourselves. And when we have no faith in Him for daily needs, He may just let us go our way and fend for ourselves (interesting to note that the Lord's prayer includes the line "Give us this day our daily bread"--why would we have to ask if He was just going to provide anyway?). In His hometown, Jesus was prevented from doing miracles because of the lack of faith there. Hebrews tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because whoever comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Heb 11:7). If we don't depend on God really, then we may just be preventing Him from acting on our behalfs. Not because He can't, but because He has chosen to live and reveal Himself through those who put their trust in Him and not themselves or circumstances. Pretty much all of heb 11 testifies to that. Faith is knowing that God is real, that He is a person who we can interact with as really as with another human being. We can trust Him to meet our needs as really as we trusted our earthly parents when we were in grade school.

There were many times when I thought I had faith, but really just had good feelings and a vague idea of this God character somewhere out there. Real faith led me to take risks, to refuse to despair even when nothing in my circumstances was hopeful. One time, for example, we were way short on rent--two days before it was due I think we had less than $100 to our names, maybe as little as 25. I sat in our apartment trembling inside and on the brink of depression when the Spirit seemed to break into my thoughts and ask if I really trusted that God was able to provide. I said yes, but then He asked me what I would be doing that day if I had the rent money and all was well. Well, I'd go to the zoo to draw (a favorite pastime of mine). So He said to me that if I really believed that God would provide, then I ought to be acting as though I had the money already. No need to fear--when rent came due, I would have it. That led to a crisis moment--did I REALLY believe? I was so tempted to just close the shades and sit on the couch and cry and fret all day. But I decided to act on what I said I believed. So I refused to indulge the fears, picked up my sketchbook and went to the zoo. I had a great time drawing. When I got home, there was a check in the mail from a relative for $1,000. She had no idea we had any need--there was just a note that said "thought this might help you achieve your dreams." Faith moves God--faith that shows itself through action. I carry that story around with me and tell everyone cause I know that He will do the same for anyone who trusts Him. And what a small concern! Jesus said that with faith the size of the tiniest seed we could move a mountain. He wants us to be free from earthly worry and just pursue Him, to have the faith of a child who gives no thought to his earthly needs but plays freely and comes to the dinner table knowing there will be a meal.

The bottom line is "no one who puts their trust in Him will ever be put to shame." (Romans 10:10-11) Feelings are just feelings, but faith "is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." (Heb 11:1)