Dirty Hands, Clean Hearts

The other morning, while getting ready for work, Matthew 6 kept coming to mind. I opened my Bible to read a bit before heading out for the day, but nothing jumped out at me.  Throughout the day I just kept thinking…Matthew 6…Matthew 6. I sat down that night and asked God, “What is it you want me to see or hear? What do you want me to know?” Let’s just say, I found it, and much more.

I want to preface this by saying that I have had a lot of changes coming about lately, both internal and external. It’s all new to me and if I’m being honest, it’s somewhat terrifying. Not to sound like a chicken (BAWK, BAWK), but I need to be honest with myself moving forward. I’ve had bouts of self-doubt. I’ve said things like: “Lord, I can’t do this”, “but, God it’s just me”, and “God, how am I going to do it?” I let my thoughts, self-doubts, and fears take over, so much that I wasn’t fully listening to what He was trying to say to me. The scripture that follows spoke to me in more ways than one. Proof that if we only remain still the Lord is answering and guiding us.

Much of Matthew 6 is part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount and is full of endless wisdom from the greatest teacher the world has ever known. 

Matthew 6:8

8       Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth

what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

God knows our hearts, our desires, and our needs before we even think about asking for them. If you’re like me, I sometimes feel selfish for asking God for things benefiting only me. I feel like my prayers are better spent on family and friends. But we have to remember that He is with and for ALL of us. One of the footnotes in my Bible states the following: “Prayer in the life of a true believer is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purpose of God.” 

Matthew 6:25-34

25     Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye

shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for our body, what ye

shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than

raiment?

26     Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they

reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth

them. Are ye not much better than they?

27     Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his

stature?

28      And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the

field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29      And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was

not arrayed like one of these. 

30      Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day

is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more

clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31     Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What

32      (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your

heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33      But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and

all these things shall be added unto you.

34      Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall

take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is

the evil thereof.

“Take no thought” (found in verses 25, 31, and 34) translated in Greek is mē merimnaō meaning, “Do not be anxious.” Anxiety and worries are the direct opposite of faith. Faith is total confidence that God is in control, we are safe in Him, and He will provide. When our priorities are set on Him (see verse 32 above), God will take care of our material needs. We can find hope in knowing that where God guides, He provides. Every day has a set of troubles and challenges set aside for each of us. We can choose to let those events consume us and put us in fits of worry and doubt…OR…we can hand it all over to the One who knows what tomorrow holds. The Lord has given us free will to choose which route we will take. 

1 Peter 5:6-7

6       Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7        Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psalm 37:4-7

4        Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5       Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6        And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7        Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself…

Proverbs 16:3

3       Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5       Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

     6      In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We must fully trust the Lord and follow His commandments. Our flesh cannot be allowed to take over. He is with His people always and He wants to see us happy and thriving. There will be times of struggle, heartache, and sadness. Guess what? He’s with us during those times too…hand it over to Him. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2      A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3      A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4      A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5      A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stone together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6      A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7      A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 

8      A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

11      He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the ed.

12      I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life;

13      And also that every man shoud eat and drink, and enjoyt the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14        I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Everything is made perfect in God’s timing, not ours or the world’s. Many of us struggle with having the patience to wait for His promises. He sees the beauty in all of us and knows what we will ultimately do in our lives to further His kingdom. As I said before, God does give us the free will to choose. Sometimes we make the wrong choices and delay our development and His plan for our lives. I myself have delayed my own progress multiple times, I am human and I err. It is up to us to quite the flesh in us and draw closer to the one whom created us. He is waiting. 

Psalm 40:1

1 I WAITED patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Psalm 25:4-5

    4    Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5     Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.  

Hebrews 6:15

15     And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Luke 1:45

45     And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

It can be so hard to wait for the promises. The world seems to have a set of standards, that if not met by a certain time frame, classifies us as failures. Good thing the world doesn’t have the final say, right? 

So, what can we do while we’re waiting for God’s promises and plans for our lives? It’s simple. We must work while we wait. Work to grow closer to God and become who He predestined us to be. Put in the work and don’t be afraid to get your hands a little dirty.