God's mercy provides for us
Aren't you tired of trying to do all this on your own? Tell Him what you need and trust Him to come through for you.
Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.” (Luke 12:22)
Growing up in a rural area, I’ve had a higher-than-average exposure to farm life and agriculture. I’ve raised chickens and turkeys and sheep and goats. I’ve helped with gardens and orchards and canned fruits and vegetables and jams.
Spring is a beautiful time of year in the country, where the whole world comes back to life after the long winter of sleep. There are more shades and hues of green in Kansas in the spring and summertime than nearly anywhere else (although I could be biased).
And do you know what we have to do in order to make things grow? Nothing.
The world springs back to life because God causes it to happen. The flowers grow, the trees blossom, the grasses turn green. The birds sing again and build their nests for their little hatchlings. We don’t have to tell them it’s time.
God does that. God does all of that. He keeps track of the birds and all the other animals that are under His care. He kickstarts the growth of new plants and breathes new life into the perennials that had fallen asleep.
So if we see how He cares for the world and the animals every spring, why do we doubt that He can care for us too?
I get it. Believe me. It’s hard to trust because we’ve been hurt so many times. And maybe even some of those times, that hurt came because God didn’t do what we wanted Him to do. Maybe you’re afraid to trust Him again because you doubt that He’s actually good.
Start small. Trust Him with something little. Give Him a chance to provide for you.
Life is hard and scary and heavy and too much—all the time, it’s all of those things. But God is merciful. He gives us so many good things. He provides for us in ways we can’t repay, and He doesn’t want us to repay Him.
But He does want us to trust Him.
If you’re giving time and energy and effort to worrying about how you’re going to survive, stop. Make the choice to stop worrying right now. Instead, go to God in prayer. Tell Him what you need and trust Him to come through for you.
If you’ve convinced yourself that He isn’t worthy of trust, He won’t try to change your mind unless you give Him the opportunity.
Aren’t you tired of trying to do all of this on your own? Let Him help.
Questions for Reflection
Why do you think we are reluctant to let God provide for us?
Why is it so easy to doubt that God has our best interests in mind?
What is one small thing you can entrust to God to take care of today?
Weekly Memory Verse
