BY GREG CRUM
“And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” Luke 12:22-24
In Luke 12:22-34, Jesus gives his followers life-changing advice. He tells them of things to think about, as well as things to “consider not.” The end result of following that wisdom? Developing a stronger faith in God’s ability and desire to provide for us! Possessing genuine faith in the abundant provision of God that produces very real results!
So, in times past at our church we have spoken of the illusion of lack that the world tries to project. In reality, it’s a lie from Satan, but an effective one. The world cries that there’s not enough to go around, that we are running out of resources, that things are scarce, and this has scared a lot of Christians. Why? Because they believe the lie. Why? Because they have spent too much time thinking about what Jesus told them not to and too little time thinking about what he said to think about.
According to the passage in Luke, what are we not supposed to think about (meditate on, dwell on)? What is the “take no thought”? The seemingly important “necessities of life”—food, clothing, shelter—material things! What are we in turn supposed to consider, or think a lot about? God’s ability and desire to provide. Even for, in context, “less important” components of Creation like ravens and lilies.
Friends, the greatest battleground in this life is the battleground of our minds. There, seeds of belief are planted, and when meditated on, grow and take root in our lives. There is power in “consideration” to change our lives, for better or worse. To see this more clearly, let’s think for a few moments about the word “consider.” It’s defined as “to think carefully about, especially before making a decision,” or “to suppose or believe.” Those are secular definitions, but I’m sure you can notice the spiritual undertones, right? Romans 10:17 tells us that our faith materializes and is strengthened through continual “hearing” or consideration. The mind isn’t the only “player” in the game of faith, but it is more important than many understand.
Of course, the Lord knows this and has given us directives on what thoughts we should embrace and which we should refrain from. What should we consider? Scriptures like Philippians 4:19 and God’s dedication to provide for us! Luke 12:32 and God’s declared pleasure in providing for our every need! Further, according to Jesus, what can help us understand these two truths even better? Thinking about ravens and lilies! What? Yeah!
Ravens and lilies, do a little research on the food sources and habitat of these two parts of God’s Creation. You’ll see why Jesus told us to think about these two things in relation to God’s ability and desire to provide for us. Here are some quick highlights. Ravens are some of the world’s most populus birds. They can and will eat anything, and they don’t have to migrate for food or shelter to thrive. Why? God has created them to intuitively stay close to food sources. For example, they often follow large predators like wolves closely. In other words, they stay connected to the suppliers!
Lilies have secrets to success as well. There are several varieties found all around the world. They have thrived, in even arid places, because they don’t need a tremendous amount of upkeep or man’s intervention to do well. In fact, they can survive well even after being cut off from natural food sources. How? They’ve learned to crave the sun most of all! They’ve also learned to grow in places where water doesn’t get built up under their roots. Sure, they need water, but to thrive they have to have that resource moved on to other locations. Insights?
You see it, right? Our faith in God’s provision for us will be strengthened when we spend more time thinking and acting on Biblical truths like how God is our one true source, how we need to focus on a relationship with His Son above all, and how we need to share resources, not hoard them up. Brothers and sisters, let’s not fear scarcity. God loves to provide for us. If He takes care of the ravens and lilies, He’ll take care of you and me!
Greg Crum is the pastor at Calvary Temple in Lovely.