I Didn't See That Coming...

There have been so many things that have surprised me in life and I am sure there are more to come. I have noticed that the way we think about those surprises directly impacts how we approach life in general. You see, we can get so caught up in thinking about what might happen and attempt to plan and prepare for every scenario, or always be on the lookout for the next terrible thing that may take place. This is never more evident than in the way that we approach finances and possessions. We work harder and longer hours to get a better job, a promotion, a pay rise which in turn fuels the desire/need to work harder and longer hours to keep the job/current pay packet as the 'market is in a downturn' and 'nothing is guaranteed anymore'...true. Times are tough for many people and this will always be the case for in the game of economics there are always winners and losers.
Jesus had just finished talking about an economic winner who died before he had a chance to take life easy and enjoy himself and he drops some counter-cultural wisdom...

"Life is more than food and your body more than clothing" Luke 12:23

He then went on to talk about birds and flowers, so amazing in their beauty and intricacies whilst so vulnerable and fleeting. Only through a great power can they survive and even thrive; only through the great care of a loving God could this happen. "And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers...he will certainly care for you" v28.

This was a huge promise to a people who lived hand to mouth - if a crop failed or someone got sick then there was no back up plan, they would not eat. These people were so focussed on just trying to survive that it consumed their every thought. I guess that is part of human nature though, because no matter what situation people find themselves in, whether in plenty or famine we still find a way to become totally consumed by our own survival. Jesus urged his disciples and those listening to trust in the Creator God to look after their needs and to not worry, for 'your Father already knows your needs' v30.

He already knows. Nothing takes Him by surprise. This is what has struck me over and over again. Through the toughest of times when everything seems to have fallen apart, not once has God ever turned to me and say, 'Well, I didn't see that coming. What should we do now?'

I take great comfort in that. The fact that He is across every detail of our lives and actively seeks to provide what we need, even before we know we need it. It is more than food and clothes too - though they are the basic necessities but it is the people around us that He provides, the roof over our head, the divine purpose that He has for each and every one of us. It is the dozens of things that we take for granted that He has purposed for us in our life. These are the gifts that the great and loving God provides as He calls us into a life of active faith in Him.

Extraordinary words from Jesus. An amazing promise. But there have been some unsettling thoughts about these words and this promise that I have wrestled with for years...