Pursuit Of His Presence

Luke 12:22-31 

22 And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear.

23 For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes.

24 Observe and consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and [yet] God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds!

25 And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]?

26 If then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither [wearily] toil nor spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory (his splendor and magnificence) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]

28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you [people] of little faith?

29 And you, do not seek [by meditating and reasoning to inquire into] what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense];

30 For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31 Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.

 

 

Devotional

Simplify Your Life!

by Gloria Copeland

“The ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” Mark 4:18-19, The Amplified Bible
In the years I have lived by faith, I’ve noticed that it’s easy to become entangled in the affairs of this life. In fact, it sometimes seems as though this world is like an octopus always trying to grab you with its tentacles. If you don’t watch out, it will wrap itself around you until you’re completely caught up in the mundane, trivial things of this world.
If you let them, those trivial pursuits will hold you down and keep you from soaring on into the eternal things of God. They will choke out the Word that has been planted in your heart and leave you without faith and without power. That’s what Mark 4:18-19 is talking about.
Here in the United States, we must be especially vigilant against such entanglements because we have such an abundance of material possessions! We can easily end up spending all our time just taking care of them.
As the Lord told a friend of mine in prayer one day, this nation has become a nation of maintenance men. We maintain our house. We maintain our yard. We maintain our car and our hair, our nails and our clothes. The problem is, by the time we’ve done what it takes to maintain all the natural things in our lives, we often don’t have any time left to maintain the spirit man who lives on the inside of us.
There’s only one thing to do: Simplify your life.
“But Gloria,” you say, “the things I do are important. I can’t just cut them out of my life!”
Listen, there’s nothing more important than spending time with God in prayer and in the Word. So make whatever adjustments you must to spend time with God. Whenever you take on anything new, count the cost—not just in money, but in time. Ask yourself, Can I afford this spiritually? Can I spare the precious hours and minutes this project (possession, hobby, etc.) will require and still have plenty of time to fellowship with the Lord?
If the answer is no, then set that project aside. I realize that may mean passing up some things you enjoy, but remember, your aim is not to please yourself. It’s to please the One who enlisted you. And believe me, when you make sacrifices for Him, He always makes sure you’re well-rewarded—not only in this age, but in the age to come. Walking in obedience and fellowship with God is “the good life.”
Speak the Word
“I lay aside every weight which so easily besets me.” —Hebrews 12:1
Need prayer? Call 817-852-6000. We’re here for you, 24/7!