Loving God of life, comfort those who mourn this day, and may the needs of this dear reader be met in You; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today is from Matthew 6: 24 "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both. 25 "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. 26 Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. 27 "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 28 All this time and money wasted on fashion - do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, 29 but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 30 "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 31 What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. 32 People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (The Message)
The state of Texas, like probably the other forty-nine, provides billboards that tempt so many. As you're driving and thinking about things, you glance up and think of the things you could have if that message on the billboard were truly for you. I'm referring to the lottery billboards and their constant reminder of how rich you could be if you won. Jesus says, you're looking at the wrong billboards! See the flowers growing under the billboard? How about the birds sitting on the lottery billboard? Yes, those are God-billboards reminding you of the divine economy. God provides at His initiative exactly what flowers and birds need. And Jesus says in this passage, God will do the same for you. Jesus also asks what we gain by worrying or being anxious about what we are to wear or what we are to eat. Jesus knew that stress kills and so His message is one of comfort, peace, and hope, if we "steep (our) life in God-reality, God-initiative, (and) God provisions." The reality is that God knows our situation and God will take the initiative, at His time, to provide exactly what we need.
There's more beauty and truth around and beyond the billboards and the message found there is from God. Look in the right places!
PRAYER: Loving God, help me today see the message I need to see in Your creation. I turn over to You the things that were causing me to worry and be anxious and I pray that Your Spirit will bring calm to my life; in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
