Saturday 26 June 2021

Psalm 4

Background

I have been on the hunt for the 'perfect' pair of jeans ever since my good ones developed a few holes and the store changed its stock for different ones that are inferior. It would be fair to say that I have spent an unnecessary amount of time in pursuit of these jeans and the quest is far from over… I freely admit that I have not brought this request to God in prayer – it is up there with other ridiculous stuff I want which God doesn’t need to know about, such as the perfect commuting bag, footwear that doesn’t hurt but still looks stylish, the right colour paint for the living room, or the lightweight, yet cosy jacket for outdoor worship or meeting with friends…

But God does seem to care – he cares for our provision and our well-being. Jesus points to the beauty of creation. In the UK, the equivalent of  'lilies of the field' might be our hedgerows and our honeysuckle, or our wild flowers such as dog-rose, poppies and meadowsweet. They are beautiful and smell fantastic! Jesus points to the raven, a bird that feeds on carrion. They are a nuisance and yet they are beautiful and able to feed themselves well without any need for store-rooms. I started thinking about our neighbourhood heron at this point, who seems to think garden ponds are his personal store-room!

God is about more than the basics we need, and the beauty and sustenance we enjoy. Jesus reminds us that our main quest should be the things of God, the purposes of God and the heart of God – things that look like God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is our true home –  and the knowledge of this would become very important for Jesus’ early followers who would know huge and dangerous persecution for their faith.

Favourite jeans wear out – even new ones. All the things we invest effort in have a finite life, except the things of God’s kingdom. We seek these things and are delightfully reminded that, within them, God cares over the details of our lives, the details of our needs.

To Ponder:

• Do you have a conscious or even an unconscious list of things that you don’t expect God to be bothered about? How can you make sure your whole life is lived within the kingdom of God?
• Take time today to consider the details of creation. Why do you think it matters to God that creation has so much detail and diversity?