Reading With the People of God #12 - the Good LifeSample

God Will Do What He Says He Will Do

“What about them and what they have?” This is a common statement among the children I serve. We live in a society that breeds constant concern. Contentment is an anomaly, and worry is normal. This concern and lack of contentment in our world drives us not only to be in continual comparison but also to be more focused on self. Relying on God is actually rare and takes tremendous focus.

Once Solomon turned from God and turned to idols, God told him that the kingdom of Israel would be divided and following sin. The prophetic word was fulfilled and the people only turned to God when they were desperate and then, mostly out of a traditional sense. There was no generational teaching of having a heart for God. The prophets became outsiders and it was uncommon to follow God rather than the whims of the king.

Society became self-sustaining rather than relying upon God. The stories of Moses, Joshua, and the judges who turned to God for guidance became simply old stories instead of the experiential lifeblood of the children of Israel. By the time Jesus was preaching His sermon on the mount, tradition had replaced faith, and trust became hard.

After sharing about true treasure, Jesus brings us to the focus of trust. Our New Testament passage begins with, “…for this reason”. The purpose of our treasure in heaven is to focus on God and His greater goal for us…to be with Him forever in worship. Giving up this purpose and relationship with Him leads us to focus too much on ourselves. Even the creatures God created have what they need. We can be sure that God wants even more for us. He doesn’t want us to be in need, but to have faith that He will provide.

As we observe the creation Christ mentions, it is important to note that even they continue instinctively to work in the way they were created. From the beginning, we were created to have a relationship with our Lord, but we do have a choice. When we turn away from Him, there are natural consequences, and we can see from our Old Testament readings what those consequences become and how they affect not only the individual but all those around for generations. God will do what He says He will do both in His promises and in the consequences. We choose where to place our faith.

* Primer contributed by Gaylyn Mott, Teacher, Musician, Yarn Artist, Member of Cornerstone Community Church