Daily Reading: 2 October

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

Don't worry: have faith in God.

Something to read

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith?

- Matthew 6:28-30.

Something to think about

'O you of little faith?'

Pretty harsh words. I wonder how we would feel if Jesus was to ask us the same question today?

Our faith is made evident in our actions. It’s very easy to say that we have faith in God, but worry proves faith lacking. We worry when we believe that we need to be in control of our own lives.

We worry when we believe that society is solely in the hands of the government and the media. We worry when we believe that God is not in control.

And it’s easy to worry because often, as we look around at contemporary culture, we see the world in a mess and question whether God really is sovereign.

Jesus uses the issue of clothing to really challenge us about our faith. Now, in today’s culture, we often think of clothing in relation to brands and fashion but in 1st Century Palestine, Jesus was speaking about clothes as a basic human need to hide nakedness and keep us warm.

Jesus again points to creation to illustrate this point. He asks his hearers to look to the lilies of the fields and reflect on how God clothes the grass.

For me, it is often as I reflect on the greatness and the complexity of creation that I realise that God can be trusted! God the creator of the heavens and the earth is more powerful than any government or any media conglomerate.

Worry disperses when we know that a loving, sovereign God is King!

Something to do

Go and find a blade of grass today. Study the complexity and the patterns of that tiny piece of creation. Marvel at how it has grown and remember that the creator God is sovereign.

Something to pray

Creator God, help me to know that you are sovereign in this world. Help me trust you more fully for all the needs that I have this week. Amen.

Today's contribution was from Andy Frost, Director of Share Jesus International, at the time of writing.