In the last of our series ‘Battles & Blessings’, we looked again at the fact that God is a God who loves to bless His people (see Ps 67, 2 Cor 9:8, Eph 1:3, John 1:16, James 1:17), but so often we find this difficult to hold onto in times of trial. We are easily disorientated by battles, it’s like being in the Vortex Tunnel at Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura, where the walkway is surrounded by flashing lights, making it hard to walk along the walkway because it feels like it’s moving.
We need to live by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), trusting that God not only exists but that He ‘cares enough to respond to those who seek him.’ (Heb 11:1, The Message) Ultimately, however, we need to seek God first, rather than only looking for His blessings; His provision and providence flow out of our relationship with Him.
In Matt 6:25-34, Jesus dealt with our human tendency to worry and fret, reminding us that God provides for the birds of the air and the flowers on the ground and loves us dearly. We can trust in His provision; the Message version of these verses says, ‘People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.‘ When we live this way, seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we will find ourselves in a place of blessing because we know that God is with us in all situations at all times.
