I can take care of myself......or can I?

Andrew Wommack, pastor from Colorado, recently posted on Twitter the following statement, "God is El Shaddai, not El Cheapo. The Lord will take care of us better than we take care of ourselves. "  As a child of God, I really want to believe that, but my actions and even my mind get in the way and sometimes I think I know what is better for me.  That type of living and thinking is very often what gets us into trouble. 

Wommack also added a scriptural reference, Matthew 6:33 with is post, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Jesus had been teaching in this section of the Sermon on the Mount, about the subject of worry. In fact, he had told his hearers, "do not worry about your life, what you shall eat or drink: or about your body, what you will wear."  Jesus then asks them, " Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"

The Lord's teaching continues by giving examples and asking more questions. " 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?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  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?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."

What about those birds?  They don't do a thing to produce their own food, and they don't stockpile the things they need for the future, yet God feeds them.  Aren't YOU more valuable than the birds?  And what about your clothing?  Look at the lilies growing in the field. They don't have to work for their survival, and yet even someone as great and Solomon was not dressed better than these lilies.  If God clothes the grass growing in the field which is here for a while and then eaten or destroyed, don't you think God will take care of YOU?  Scripture is quick to point out our faith is lacking if we doubt God in these areas. That's why God says, "Do not worry about these things.  These are the things that pagans chase after, and God already knows you need them."

Immediately following in the scripture is the verse we started with, ""But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I must admit I don't know how to bring in all the ramifications of homelessness, hunger, sickness, disease, and tragedy.  There are some sad things happening in our world today. But I must, in all things, cling to the One which promises to "take better care of me, than I can take care of myself."

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