LONGING FOR GOD’S PROVISION, DAY ONE

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Wednesday, March 12th

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished.  ~ Luke 4:1-2 (NRSVUE)

These days, I know I am one of many who are quite concerned about our personal safety, security, and well-being. I worry about the future, especially for our children and grandchildren, as those who have an abundance of wealth and resources are choosing to take even more from those who don’t (including the earth’s natural resources). Our need for security and our worldview of scarcity have led to much of our country’s tumult and fear–and global harm. *

I want to always have enough, to be secure, to feel safe; I want these assurances for everyone else, too. I am longing for God to provide for us all, yet aware that I could do much more to help God do so. But on this Lenten day, my longing for God’s provision invites me to attempt the opposite–to face the wilderness of scarcity and hunger as Jesus chose to do.

I trust that God, who is Infinite Love, wants no one to go hungry, to suffer, or to lack essential needs. But how would poverty and hunger transform my spirit? What does my fear of scarcity have to teach me? How might God use my feelings of anxiety and fear for good purposes?

I look at the rest of Luke’s passages in which Jesus responds to the temptations that arose from his hunger, solitude, and lack of basic comforts while he wandered the wilderness. Hungry, Jesus turns to God for sustenance. Seeing the potential for power, he keeps God as his authority. Taunted to prove his holy identity, he humbly leaves that to God.

God created the earth with the potential for generous abundance. If each of us could be mindful stewards of the earth’s goodness, trusting in God’s provision for ourselves and participating in God’s provision for others, there would be more than enough abundance for everyone. In the days ahead, may I follow the example of Jesus, turning to God for daily sustenance, trusting God as my guide, and letting my worthiness be only from God’s love in me. May I become one who contributes more than consumes, who helps more than hoards, and whose hunger is for God more than goods.

(Photo by Karen)

* I recently read and recommend Brian McLaren’s book, Life After Doom, in which he addresses “the catastrophic failure of both our religious and political leaders to address the dominant realities of our time: ecological overshoot, economic injustice, and the increasing likelihood of civilizational collapse.” It is a very difficult read, but very worthwhile. ~ https://brianmclaren.net/lad/