Tag: Matthew 6:33

Graceful Yielding

‘There’ in the palm of His hand, close to His heart

Meditation Thought: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

Nothing is too hard for the Lord – but He has created in love creatures who can facilitate His works, or obstruct them and slow down His perfect timing if He chooses to allow them to do so as a means of teaching. And this seems to be Standard Operating Procedure.

“Seek first the kingdom and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33) is not only a wonderful promise to us – but a graceful yielding on God’s side to let us choose to seek the kingdom.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord – sometimes we just think it is because what we desire to happen when we desire it to happen doesn’t occur. But God knows our hearts, and all of the facets of the situation – including where He wants us to be, and what He needs to do to get us there – ‘There’ in the palm of His hand, close to His heart – willingly staying close and enjoying it and desiring it above all else.

Whether we perceive it early or late, or not at all, that is His aim – He states it in His Word, He works it in His will, He empowers it through His Spirit, and He implants it in our heart.

Merciful Harmony

Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live.

Meditation Thought: “ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

“It depends upon God’s mercy” – therefore, we must depend upon God. We cannot do anything by ourselves, for this was not God’s original plan.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33) must be accepted and acted upon if we are to reap the benefits which all eventually come to seek: peace, joy, love.

But we are so stubborn! We get ‘involved’, we would rather ‘do our own thing’, we mistakenly believe that we are able to manage nicely by ourselves. Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live – for the way that is compatible with our Creator and His creation.

In our helplessness, we cry out for mercy – and it is the recognizing of our need for mercy that opens up a new previously unsuspected level of life. A level where an awakening of possibilities causes great excitement and anticipation in us, which at the same time allows us to be at peace in our hearts.

To have the Spirit flowing within is visible without, for our health depends not upon outside circumstances, but a fully integrated program which coordinates every factor of our being (spirit, personality, body, mind) into working harmoniously – all seeking to improve the particular area of itself, but affecting the other areas in a positive manner. Only the One who created us has the knowledge of how to accomplish this to the maximum degree. If we call upon Him to teach us, He is eager to do so.

Choose Your Storehouse Carefully

And the conscious decisions bring into your life the contents of the storehouse so that the unconscious decisions draw upon the stock within you, thus reinforcing either sickness of Satan’s stock or health of God’s stock.

Meditation Thought: “ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” (Romans 6:13)

All manner of things are in the storehouse – you must choose what you will take from it and bring into your life. It is easy to walk into Satan’s area – for it is downhill, easy to just let the inertia of sin and self-will to almost propel you down the hill to his area.

God’s area is higher – more difficult to reach because you must take effort to remove sin and self-will by energy, time, and commitment before you can make the walk up the path to reach God’s storehouse. But for those who try – what blessings! The fruits and gifts of the Spirit are there: the storehouse is pleasant, commanding a beautiful view. (See Galatians 5:22-23)

Life is a series of trips to the storehouse: each conscious decision takes the path to either the storehouse area of Satan or of God. And the conscious decisions bring into your life the contents of the storehouse so that the unconscious decisions draw upon the stock within you, thus reinforcing either sickness of Satan’s stock or health of God’s stock.

Seek ye first the Kingdom – God’s area – and the joys of the Kingdom’s stores shall accumulate in your life. (See Matthew 6:33)