Don Fredenburg
Jim Tucker
H.E. 'Hub' Bowen
Mike Coble
Ron Bowen2/17/2018
"Don't worry and say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will
we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' All the people that don't know God try to
get these things. Don't worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you
need these things. The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing
the good things God wants you to do. Then all these other things you need will
be given to you."
— Matthew 6:31-33
KEY THOUGHT: What's most important to you? Why is it important? Jesus emphasizes all throughout his ministry that three things are of supreme importance: loving God with all our heart, loving our neighbor, and seeking after God's Kingdom. If we do these things, everything else will fall into place; the hand of the Creator will be there helping each thing find its proper place. He knows what we need. He has a plan for our lives. He will meet our needs. God assures his Kingdom seekers that we will ultimately get what we seek; we will share with the King in his Kingdom. In addition, when we seek Kingdom values, we will bless those we love, we will have a redemptive influence on those around us, and we will have all that we need in life.
TODAY'S PRAYER: O gracious Father, help me keep my eyes focused on your Kingdom, my heart centered on you, my mind illuminated by your Word, and my spirit empowered and cleansed by your Spirit. Father, please forgive me when I am distracted by things that don't really matter. Use your Word, your Spirit, and your people to help call me back to a proper set of priorities. Please bless me as I make your Kingdom and your righteousness my consuming passion. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
TODAY'S VERSE IN CONTEXT: "Don't save treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. So save your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is. "How you look at other people makes you the kind of person you are. If you look at people and want to help them, you will be full of light (goodness). But if you look at people in a selfish way, you will be full of darkness (evil). And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst kind of darkness. "No person can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one master and love the other master. Or he will follow one master and refuse to follow the other master. So you cannot serve God and Money at the same time. "So I tell you, don't worry about the food you need to live. And don't worry about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or save food in barns. But your heavenly Father feeds those birds. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. "And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the flowers in the field. See how they grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it is thrown into the fire to be burned. So you know that God will clothe you much more. Don't have so little faith! Don't worry and say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' All the people that don't know God try to get these things. Don't worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need these things. The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing the good things God wants you to do. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. So don't worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.
Matthew 6:19-34
RELATED SCRIPTURES: We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan. God knew those people before he made the world. And God decided that those people would be like his Son (Jesus). Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. God planned for those people to be like his Son. And he called (chose) those people. God called those people and made them right with him. And God gave his glory to those people that he made right.
Romans 8:28-30
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center.
All rights reserved.
