Dear brothers and sisters, it is so wonderful to meet you for this devotion
.
We are living in a challenging time. As the economies worldwide are heading south, our economy is also being affected. Being Christians do not give us immunity to the crisis in this world. How can we trust God to provide for our needs in times like this?
I would like to share one of the miraculous provisions of God and its significance.
In Matthew 17:24 - 27, Peter was being questioned by a Temple tax collector whether Jesus and he had paid their taxes. Upon hearing this, Jesus taught Peter an important lesson on being a son in the Kingdom of God. Jesus taught Peter that he was the Son of the King, hence he was not bound by law to pay the Temple tax, but he did so voluntarily in order not to stumble the tax collector who was obeying the Levitical Law.
The temple tax was only a very small sum, which is half a shekel for each person. Jesus could have easily taken the money from the money bag. Instead, a miracle happened that God provided a fish with a coin in its mouth to pay for their taxes. The significance of this miracle is to confirm the words of Jesus that He is the Son of the King and God has provided for his tax. Hence, since we are the sons in the Kingdom of God, God will also provide for us.
In Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus tells us not to be anxious for our daily needs, and when we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the things that we need will then be provided for us.
Question, how can we align ourselves with the Kingdom of God?
Here are 4 suggestions for your consideration:
a) LOVE GOD AND LOVE PEOPLE -
We must love and serve Christ wholehearted and give Him the best of our everything. We should make use of every opportunity to be a blessing to others and to bring them to Christ, our Saviour and King.
b) KNOW OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST –
We should constantly examine our thoughts, emotions and behaviours in the mirror of God’s Word. And to check whether they are consistent with our identity as a child of God.
c) BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT –
Whenever we are making important decisions for our lives, family, work, or finance, it is important for us to pray and trust the Holy Spirit to lead us and give us His wisdom and guidance.
d) HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE -
We must know that we will stand before Christ one day to give an account on how we live our lives. Hence, we should make use of the gifts and talents that God has given us for the extension of the Kingdom of God.
Brothers and sisters, let us make seeking the Kingdom of God the priority of our lives. As we do so, we can believe God to provide for all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
I wish you a Blessed Day ahead. Amen.
