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Day Six
King Escape
Scripture: Psalm 36:7–9; Matthew 5:6; Matthew 7:9–11
Even though we know life is found in Christ, we often continue cultivating our preferred escape hatches because we’re fearful He won’t actually meet our needs—that there’s a bait and switch lurking somewhere up ahead. We live as if the goodness of God is only available in minuscule doses, as if His promised peace and joy are only given to a select few at the top of the spiritual food chain. In other words, we live with a scarcity mentality: we’re on our own, the future is uncertain, and resources are limited, so we should get ours where we can.
According to this scarcity mentality, God is stingy and cruel, limited in capacity, and disengaged in the lives of His children. He can’t handle the reality of what we’ve done, the reality of our suffering, or the reality of our very real needs. And so, of course, if we believe this, we won’t ever go to Him as a source of life. He becomes not a refuge but rather a killjoy, and we run to our preferred escapes to escape Him.
Yet scarcity doesn’t exist in the kingdom of God. King Jesus stands at the ready to offer His way out when I’m tempted, His strength when I am weak, His comfort when I am hurt, and His wisdom when I don’t know what to do.
Though I’m prone to escape to whatever resources I can muster up, what I actually need escape from is myself and the cultural current in which I swim. And Jesus offers that: He is my refuge and my help, and He promises to meet my needs. In Matthew 7, he describes God as a good Father who cares well for His children. There is always an abundance of provision for me.
That doesn’t mean God will meet every desire I have. Dissatisfaction will be with us until we meet Jesus face-to-face. What we do when we experience our unmet desires manifests our true allegiance. Where we run for help shows who or what we trust. Escapers inevitably get choked by the cares of the world, but those who seek refuge in God become healthy, strong, and fruitful.
What is your most common way to escape when you are suffering?
About this Plan
Relying on ourselves sounds good. After all, if we just get a little more organized, a little more patient, a little more spiritual, our lives will be better…. Right? In this week’s devotional, Christine Hoover reminds us why relying on ourselves leads us to bow to the false kings of anxiety, control, and self-indulgence. Only when we bring our whole hearts to the true King will we find true satisfaction.
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