| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be thankful” Our Bible verse for today: “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:31-33 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Thank God for meeting your needs” As prosperous as America is, there’s poverty in our nation too. Not everyone is doing well. We have a homeless crisis. We have families living below the poverty level. Most schools provide free breakfast and lunches because so many children are not well-fed at home. There are regions in our nation, such as Appalachia and Native American communities, where poverty is deep and systemic. Despite our abundance of provisions overall, there are great needs as well. But fortunately, most of us do have our basic needs adequately met. Most of us do have decent housing, sufficient food to eat, and at least a modest income. That right there puts us at a level substantially above many millions of others around the world and we should be thankful to God for it. Even if you don’t live in a posh neighborhood in a home filled with expensive furniture and large pantries overflowing with food, if your basic needs are adequately met then you are blessed. Beyond that, for those who are struggling, we’re fortunate to live in a nation with a substantial safety-net and lots of helping resources. Beginning with homeless shelters and food banks; extending to food stamps, government subsidized housing, and income assistance; to unemployment benefits, job training programs, tuition assistance, and so much more, ours is a society that places a heavy emphasis on helping those who are struggling. In a previous devotional I mentioned that the USA is the most generous nation in the world. That’s true. But what you may not know is that approximately 80% of our charitable dollars are directed to helping our own population. We’re already the most affluent nation in the world, and we are the most charitable, but the overwhelming majority of our charity is spent on ourselves. I’m not being critical of that, I’m only making the point that even for those who are on the margins of society and who are struggling, we’re blessed to live in a land that has a substantial system of helping resources. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, I encourage you to first thank God for what you already have. Then, ask Him to open your eyes to the ways you might be able to improve your situation. Then consider some of the many helping resources that are available to you. As Jesus taught in Matthew 6:25-34, God is aware of your needs and He is able to help you. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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