Lesson Of Life

Lesson of Life

May 18, 2014

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

As I was praying about what God wanted me to share with you today, I felt Him leading me to just share my busy life with you. Every day is a gift from God – that’s why we call it “The Present” - but every day is also an opportunity for God to share something with us. It is an opportunity for Him to teach us a spiritual lesson. As Jesus walked and talked with the disciples he would use everyday items for illustration or examples of some spiritual lesson. So here is my take on the last week or so.

I will start with a week ago Thursday. My grandson Nate and I built a chicken coop and bought some chicks a month ago to raise. Then we found out that living in the city of Weed - we have restriction. We can have only a certain number, no roosters, we had to check with our neighbors and get their permission, we had to draw a map of the property and where we were going to put the pen, buy a permit for $25 dollars and fill out an application, and submit it. We had to have the animal control officer come inspect the pen, then go to a city council meeting in case they wanted to question us. The Bible says,

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities…” Romans 13:1

So we did all they asked of us. That Thursday was our day to go to City Council. It seems like a lot of red tape over chickens but we complied. We were toward the end of the agenda so we had to wait two hours until they got to us. That particular meeting the Council was hearing the pro’s and con’s of growing marijuana in city limits. Nate and I got to listen to all that. At the conclusion they tabled the item. When they got to us they quickly passed our petition to raise chickens and I was able to get to my next meeting of the evening.

As I was thinking about the spiritual context of that experience, I thought of Deuteronomy six. You will remember it as being what Jesus called the Greatest Commandment in the Old Testament. But we usually stop with just the one part. It actually is all one sentence. Listen to it again.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deut 6:4-9

We are to not only love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength – but we are to IMPRESS them on our children and grandchildren. As Nate and I worked together and went to the City Council together – it was a teaching opportunity for me. I didn’t preach a sermon or teach a scripted lesson – but sometimes the things of life can be the biggest illustration of Spiritual truth.