Carefree Kingdom - The One Year Heaven on Earth Devotional

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Luke 12:25

IN WORD

Jesus went to great lengths to get worry and fear out of the hearts of His followers. In Luke 12, He assures them that they are more precious than the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. Though the rest of the world lives in stress over food and clothes, God wants the citizens of His Kingdom to be carefree about such matters. He tells us not to worry because He is fully capable of caring for us.

Notice that Jesus did not tell us not to worry because nothing bad will ever happen. He promised provision, but only after declaring a larger principle: Our lives are about things much greater than food and clothes. “Life is more than food, and your body more than clothing” (Luke 12:23). Yes, He is God the provider, but He is also God the bigger picture. Above and beyond everything we face in this tangible world, our lives are rooted in a larger story than the day-to-day narrative most people see us living in.

That’s why worry doesn’t fit the Kingdom culture. It’s an intensive focus on the smaller story. Like a reader who gets the facts of the plot but misses the overarching themes, worriers miss the truth between the lines of their lives. God sees the bigger picture and invites us into it. He gives us a greater perspective.

IN DEED

Worry isn’t in the heart of the King—not even a trace of it. Therefore, it shouldn’t be in the hearts of Kingdom citizens. We can live with full confidence that God doesn’t neglect His people. Those who are faithful to Him are never forsaken by Him (Psalm 37:25). That frees us up to focus entirely on the larger themes of life. God doesn’t want His people distracted by peripheral details; He wants our hearts to be fully engaged with what He’s doing in the world. Instead of being preoccupied with survival, we invest ourselves in Kingdom issues and trust our needs to the One who promised to meet them. We can live carefree.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 37:25-26

Worry is an intrusion into God’s providence.

JOHN HAGGAI