This week Michael writes: Jesus led by His example. He walked the talk and talked the walk. In Matthew 6 Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount. After teaching the multitude about treasuring treasures in heaven instead of treasures upon earth. He continued, You cannot serve two masters, either you will love one and hate the other. You cannot serve God and mammon, meaning the material things of this world. Therefore, take no thought … don’t worry about the things of this life. Is not life more than food and clothing? Consider the birds of the air and the Lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory, in his regal regalia, was not clothed like either of these. Are you not much greater than they the sparrow and the lily? Will God not take care of your needs? Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek God’s righteousness and not the righteousness that the secular world considers righteous. Righteousness is only in the things of God … the things of his Holy Spirit. For He who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. In Philippians 4:6-8, Paul said by revelation: be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace that passes understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The context of this verse is about joy and the love of God. To rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. To let your moderation, your yieldingness with in love in things that are insignificant, be known unto all men.
The word supplication in Greek means “request for needs.” Webster’s dictionary defines the word as: Entreaty; humble and earnest prayer in worship. What is it that we really need? God is the God of Providence. He is the Jehovah Jireh, the All-sufficient One. He alone is our sufficiency. He is our all sufficiency for all things according to His will. Ultimately all I need is thee Lord. According to the hymn Be Thou My Vision, Thou art my best portion by day or by night. .. Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul thought that his need was for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. He thought that he would be a better Apostle for Christ without the pain. He prayed three times for God to remove this thorn. The first two times God did not answer. The third time, God answered Paul’s prayer, but it was not the answer that Paul expected. However, this is one of the great lessons of life, learned only through suffering, pain and tribulation. God’s answer was, My strength is made perfect in thy weakness. My grace is sufficient for thee. God is the God of grace … He alone is our sufficiency. God will deliver us in the fire, through the fire or by the fire. For Tribulation, the pressures and trials of this world work patience when we endure the trial. Then patience produces experience. It reveals tried and tested Character. It proves God’s character within us. As the Psalmist said, the crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but God tests and refines the heart of man. That which is left after the refining is the true character of the Spirit … the character and the qualities of God in Christ in us.
Let's continue Michael's message on God's refine in the next post. In Christ, Brian
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