Matthew 6:19-34
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Friday, October 10, 2008
SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
...lay up treasures in heaven -
words of hope for uncertain times
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7 comments:
Thanks be to God!
I sat under the preaching of a pastor this week (I just moved and am in the process of selecting a church home) - who pointed out some amazing things in this passage.
1) Concerning the birds - YOUR heavenly Father feeds THEM. Or in other words, he's YOUR Father. And he feeds things that aren't his children. But you are! Don't you think he'll treat you better?
2) Concerning the life being more than clothes and the body more than food - I never understood this until he said this - but God created the life. God created the body. Do we not think he can take care of them as well?
3) Your heart follows your treasure - calls for discipline!
4) Don't worry - because that's what pagans do!
Thanks, Campi - needed this this morning.
Incidentally, I'm not sure whether I think 'righteousness' here is talking about imputation or about God's righteous rule. Anyone want to argue for either side?
Amen to that. It is times like this when the lie of prosperity preaching shows most clearly. Our promise is in Christ, not in the stock market or our 401k plan. The message we should be hearing from pulpits on Sunday should be the same as any other Sunday, our hope is in Christ. It will take more than unscrupulous lenders or socialists in congress to thwart God's sovereignity!
Thanks for the encouraging post.
My real estate and other investments have taken a significant hit.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Not to hard to figure out where I should be storing up my treasure.
Thank you for this post. I needed it today.
God bless!
Karen
"Not to hard to figure out where I should be storing up my treasure."
You bet...it'll be worth the exact same to you in 100 years (while you're in eternity) as it would if you and your assets went bankrupt today.
I try to think of it this way...(according to Hebrews 11:6) without faith it is impossible to please God. I'm thankful that..without cash it is possible to please God. Even if I'm without cash, God has still promised to meet all of my needs (Phil 4:23).
My previous comment should read "not too hard..." rather than "Not to hard..."
Steve,
Thanks.
A breath of fresh air in a climate of fear. And from the pure milk of the Word.
Goes well with Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply all your needs through His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Man, how these verses are not to be taken lightly, but meditated on by the children of God.
Blessings,
Terry
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