I have recently had a revelation: do not worry. Funny, huh? The saying "It says in the bible 365 times 'Do not fear', that's one for each day of the year. Yay life is so easy haha." No. For the past week I have developed a routine in the mornings. I read Psalm 23 (in which I'm in the process of memorizing), Psalm 139, and Luke 12:22-34. These three different passages give completely different perspectives on how and why we should not worry, and how and why we should trust God. I realized that my problem was I never gave the Lord a chance to truly take care of me like he so often promises to. That's how these three texts heal this prideful issue every single morning.
The very first verse in Psalm 23 is, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." Did you read that with purpose within your own life? "The Lord is my shepherd..." as in he will guide you. But that requires you recognizing that you are a sheep: a gentle, prone-to-wander, incapable creation. CREATION. NOT CREATOR. The moment you give up believing and living as if you are the creator, you will realize that the one true Shepherd knows the best way, and, in fact, delights in showing you. No matter how many times you stray away, He will search for you, He will find you, and He will carry you back to His heart. Every single time.
The second part to verse one "I have all that I need." Good, now read it again. "I have all that I need." Now read it like you actually believe it. "I have all that I need." This takes a few times to sink in before understanding that God is truly more than enough for us. When was the last time you were satisfied with the thought "God is all I need"? Convicting, right? How heartbreaking it must be for God to see his children not trust him! How frustrating. How sad. How confusing. How annoying we are to him! Imagine a Father so perfect, so holy, but still his children doubt him. And yet, Psalm 23 ends like this: "Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life..." He is a God who does not meet us halfway, but pursues us wholeheartedly when we least deserve it.
I will not touch too much on Psalm 139, I will let you all read that one for yourself and study it. But I enjoy reading that in the morning because it starts me off knowing how near God is to me. He has more thoughts about me than the grains of sand on the seashore. And no matter how far away I go I cannot escape his Spirit. He searches my heart and tests my anxious thoughts. He never takes a day off with me. He is a God who does not tolerate laziness, which is why he himself is working in me each day to get better.
Luke 12:22-34. If you have never read that before I would definitely encourage you to. The entire passage speaks for itself but I will share with you my favorite part. Verse 27: "Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you." What a sturdy reminder that is. Look around you. I'm sure there is a creation or two near. For me, right now, it is mountains, hills, the ocean. Meditate on how amazing it is. How perfect it is. How it never messes up and continuously does it's job of glorifying God. And yet, we are the ones he cares about the most. We are the ones he chose to spend eternity with. Undeserving, unworthy, sloppy, imperfect, human. "And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession" (James 1:18).
Give the Lord a chance to take care of you because he so badly wants to.
"I am your Shepherd; you have all that you need."
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