Genesis 7.23

Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

I just had a stupid thought…

Have you ever noticed all of the kids’ books and decorations and toys with a Noah’s ark theme?

Seriously, go into any Christian bookstore and walk through the toddler isle… or check out the latest crib sheets at Babies R’ Us. Noah and his ark full of animals are everywhere. Noah is always smiling and cute in his pastel colored gown with rainbows in the background. And if you look closely, there is usually a good chance that the animals are even smiling!

Yet, read go ahead, read verse 23 again… YIKES! That’s not pretty and pastel; that’s more on the horrific side of life. I’m not saying we don’t tell toddlers and preschoolers about the Noah story, but we really need to realize what we’re saying when we do.

OK, stupid thought done… Must be because I’m work in a Children’s ministry -  thanks for reading.

Matthew 6.25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 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?

27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I used to grow up thinking that Matthew 6:33 was the magic verse. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I figured that if I sought out God first that I’d have a big house, a BMW, dinner at expensive restaurants, and the best clothes. (ALL THIS!)

As I’ve grown to read scripture in its context, I’ve learned that this isn’t about a life a luxury at all. Really this passage is about life period. “All this” is equal to having food and drink and clothes – I don’t even see anything in there about a BED let alone a house. I could be disappointed, I mean shouldn’t my definition of “All this” be God’s definition as well? But his economy is on a whole different level than ours.

We can’t understand it, but we must trust it.

In our economy where people are losing jobs daily, we can trust our God to provide our most basic of human needs. It may not be as we would hope or want, but he will provide. Let’s live remembering that our “Heavenly Father knows that you need…” And he will give us just that and most likely…. more!