Look at the birds of the air….Consider the lilies of the field… —Matthew 6:26, 28
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin”— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me.” In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.”
The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.
If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.
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May 18 2016
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning God, thank You for this day and this devotional. Today’s devotional seems to sum up all that You have been teaching us for a long while. These two sentences from Chambers seem to sum up all that You have been revealing to us for a number of years: We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.” As the song says, I am to keep my eyes on You.
And God says…”Just like the lilies of the field, you do not have to worry about how you exist or grow. Even though I have given you the intellect and awareness, that does not mean you need to figure out what, when, how, where or why. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God and My righteousness, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you require for daily living. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart; this is the lesson and teaching I have given you: Surrender, connection, curiosity and obedience. Live out of this, and the Holy Spirit can lead, guide and direct you. But He cannot take the wheel unless you first let go. “
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