God Knows Better

There is nothing more frustrating than leaving out an important ingredient, part, or step in a process. There is a reason why a recipe calls for a specific amount of sugar or baking powder. Yes, all the parts included in the box are important to putting together that item. Cleaning an area before applying a substance will make a difference in the process. The frustration is even greater when we make a choice to withhold that item and wonder what could have been the result with a different choice.

An area in which this commonly occurs is the area of our walk with God. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6:33 where He taught us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This command was a contrast to what we typically try to do—carry the burden (stress) of what we want to occur and then seek what seems best for us. When things don’t turn out right we then cry out to God for Him to make up for what we left out of the process—His direction. But the verses that lead up to verse 33 give us some important reasons to ‘seek first.’ In these verses we read that God truly knows what we need (6:32) and that He is more than capable to provide for our needs based on His provision for the rest of His creation (6:25—31). A key way in which we accomplish this command is through prayer.

So, are you going to God first to let Him inform you of your true needs, and to then provide those needs to you? The key is not to complete the task and then wonder what could have been. Pray first.