THURSDAY: TRUST
KEY PASSAGE
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:24-26
DEVOTIONAL
Developing a generous heart requires the development of trust. This is why living generously in a moment can be so difficult. When we don’t trust that we have what we need, we don’t see a way to give at all. Maybe you find yourself thinking things like, “Once I make this much, then I can give”, “Once we pay that off, then we can give”, or “Once I have saved this much, then I’ll feel comfortable giving”. These thoughts are a reflection of what we trust. We wrestle with giving because we wonder if our needs will be met after we give, or we think they are already not being met so we believe we are not in a proper position to give.
When we worry about such things, Jesus reminds us to consider the birds of the air. He tells us, “God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” We exercise trust every single day in so many different ways, big and small. Many of us trust our cars to get us where we need to go, or we trust our pay check to hit our account on a certain day! We trust our chair to not collapse when we sit down, and we trust that the Chick-Fil-A drive through will move quick enough for a pit stop on the way to work! We constantly practice trust, but we often forget to trust God with providing for our needs. He assures us that we can trust Him because he values us. He provides every day for the birds, who he values as well, but not as much as you and me. When we begin to trust Him, we see we don’t need to hold so tightly to things, because we are taken care of by our Heavenly Father every day.
CHALLENGE
We all have things we need to trust God with. For some it’s family, for others health, and for many it’s our bank accounts. Take a few moments today to sit down in the presence of God with pen and paper. Take inventory of things you struggle to trust Him with. Pause and express that to Him verbally. Then ask for help. Ask God to show you why you lack trust in these areas, and to help you see more clearly how He has always taken care of you.