All We Need
Right now, two rabbits are feasting on my lawn. They always have an abundant supply of groceries from my patch of grass. There's no way they could devour all the food, even if they ate 24 hours a day, seven days a week!
The scene reminds me, in an odd sort of way, of this Bible passage: "Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:29-32).
That advice from Christ Jesus brings assurance that God is good to us. An inexhaustible abundance is available to us. It's right here for us to claim. OK, so you can't eat your lawn. And maybe you don't see an adequate food supply in the pantry. Or enough money to pay the taxes. But if such is the case, perhaps it's time to think deeply about that Bible passage. Especially the "seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" part.
What is God's kingdom? How about "harmony" for one definition? Harmony signifies that good is going on. God is good. God is the source of harmony. And He provides it freely, to everyone. As we realize that this is the truth, we can make use of it. We can find the kingdom of God. We can find more harmony in our lives through prayer, which shows that God is supreme and the creator of all. Nothing can overrule the harmony that God continuously provides to us.
What is your true need? Groceries or taxes may be on your mind, but the real need is for improved thinking - thinking that comes from knowing you are the spiritual expression of God. You have everything you need through reflection of Him. A growing conviction of this will result in having the resources you need in daily living.
Can you imagine a rabbit worrying about having enough grass to eat? Neither should we worry. We can accept that God, who loves us dearly as His children, would never leave us lacking what we need in order to live and be productive.
Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who found in Jesus' teaching a healing Science, Christian Science, wrote: "In divine Science, man is sustained by God, the divine Principle of being. The earth, at God's command, brings forth food for man's use. Knowing this, Jesus once said, 'Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink,' - presuming not on the prerogative of his creator, but recognizing God, the Father and Mother of all, as able to feed and clothe man as He doth the lilies" ("Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Pg. 530).
Jesus had a firm grasp on the concept of God as the source of harmony. He fed a bunch of people in the wilderness with what others thought to be a meager amount of fish and bread. All he did was bless the source of supply (thereby thanking God for His largess), and over 5,000 people ate sufficiently. There were even leftovers (see Matt., Chap. 14). At another time, when Jesus needed money to pay taxes, he had his disciple Peter go down to the sea, catch a fish, and take the money out of the fish's mouth (see Matt., Chap. 17). (Perhaps the significant thing here was not so much the way the money was found, as it was the fact that Jesus had demonstrated that God meets our needs in ways beyond our ability to predict.)
When our sons were in college, it was not always easy to come up with tuition payments. But rather than labor to find human ways to get the money, we turned to God in prayer. We had an expectancy that He would supply this legitimate need spiritually. We heard about a scholarship program funded by the state. Our sons applied and received substantial grants that, when added to what we were prepared to spend, took care of the bills.
The fact is, all our needs are already supplied by the creator. He maintains and sustains His creation, including you and me - and the rabbits in my yard!
You can visit the home page of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, at www.tfccs.com.
