Seek first God's presence

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.



Do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?' or "What will we drink?' or "What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
—Matthew 6. 31-33

Beneath all worry, whether petty or profound, is the fear that What Is is not enough, that there will not be enough grace. Worry is a symptom of living in a world of scarcity and fear, a world in which God is absent and blessing is scarce. But Jesus says in truth we live in a world of abundance and blessing, in which God is immanently present and generous. Jesus invites us into an alternative consciousness: as awareness that “what is” is God. Reality is not mere impersonal “existence;” it is an expression of God. The universe is the gift of a generous, faithfully present Lover. Whatever we experience, God is in it.

When we become mindful of God's loving presence, when we enter the “kingdom of God,” the Realm of Grace, we find that in whatever we experience or fear, even in suffering and loss, God is with us, within us, pouring into our lives God's infinite love. In all things there is infinite grace. It may come to us in ways other than those of our choosing, and we may indeed still experience pain, difficulty disappointment and grief. But not despair. Mindful of God's loving presence, we receive abundant blessing and grace that is sufficient for any day, even the worst.

Do not worry; don't send your mind on a wild goose chase into some other world looking for scarcity, deficiency and despair. Seek first an awareness of God's gracious, loving presence in what is before you, and you will receive blessings beyond your asking.



Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

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Copyright © Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net