Encounter Christian Campus Ministry Daily Devotions 2020

May 11 by Jasmine Buenafe AB Mascom

– Encounter Alumni. Binmaley, Pangasinan

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34
God Provides!

One of the biggest concerns that many people have in common is worrying over their finances. Whether we spend too much or earn too little. We worry about clothes, food, a place to live, or all of them at the same time. And in the past few weeks, that worry seem to have attacked almost everybody because of the lockdowns and quarantines. A lot of people lost their jobs, businesses and the economy was going down. Difficult times like this makes people wonder, will God provide for us?

Wouldn't it be great to get to a place where we truly trust God to be our Provider and not worry about money or anything? Is that even possible? Let's check out what Jesus said about this matter.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26 NIV)

One way to truly trust God as our Provider is remembering how much he cares for birds and flowers. Simple, right? God provides for them, and yet, He values us far more! He didn't send Jesus to die on the cross for the birds and flowers, but He did that for us! So, why wouldn't He meet our needs? It can be very difficult to remember this in the middle of our worry. But, let every bird in the sky or flower that you see remind you that God is our Provider.

Another way to trust God's Provider is by choosing to seek the His Kingdom and His righteousness first. For when we do, "all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

Seeking God first frees us from the worries and pressures of earth because our eyes are fixed on Him instead of the temporary things that weigh us down.

Think about it this way. When we worry, we tend to sit in it. We could even say we feel paralyzed by it. So don't worry, do something instead. And by something, that means seeking God. Read the Bible, Write out your prayers, Worship through song, and so on. Practice seeking God not because you're trying to earn His love, but because you already have it.

In today's situation, I believe we've all experienced worrying about something, especially our basic needs. But let us always be reminded that God is very capable of meeting our needs. He met our greatest need by sending Jesus to save us. Why would we think He wouldn't provide for our lesser needs?