Saturday, October 1, 2011

Psalm 130, Deuteronomy 2:16-37, Matthew 6:16-34 - Lectionary for 10/1/11

Today's readings are Psalm 130, Deuteronomy 2:16-37, and Matthew 6:16-34.

Our Lord and Savior tells us in no uncertain terms that we are not to be anxious. We are not to have a concern about whether he will provide for us or not. We should not have any fear about the future. How then do we deal with the reality of life in this fallen world? Do we neglect careful planning? Do we have an obligation to provide well for our families, to plan for our children's future, to plan even for our own future?

I may have a skewed perspective in this. Many of the people I work with on a regular basis are 85 or more years old. Some have been in retirement nearly as long as I have been at work. Some are running out of their life savings, as their lives have extended longer than they anticipated. Some have long since run out of savings and are being supported by their children or by charitable programs. Many are concerned about their future, or at least their children who are both supporting their parents and their own children are concerned.

There's a place for careful planning, even shrewd investment. This is not denied in Scripture. But what we are to keep in mind, first and foremost, is that all our provision comes from the Lord God, the one who created everything, who cares for it all, and who numbered our days before we were born. We have nothing without the Lord. And we need nothing that he will not somehow supply. We may need to resign ourselves to living as humble people, even as our Lord and Savior did, who had only one nice garment. We may not have all that we could dream of. And godly people do die in poverty. Yet we look to our Lord who has granted us a rich inheritance in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

Yes, we find that we have no cause for worry. Our Savior has taken all our reason for fear.

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