…’O you of little faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you. Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof. (Matthew 6:30c-34)
Jesus invites believers to live free of worry and anxiety, but instead to rest in the loving care of our Heavenly Father. He knows our needs; is more than able to provide; and promises to take care of us. This message is about trust.
Jesus addressed this here in the Sermon on the Mount: the most famous sermon preached by the greatest preacher ever to walk the earth.
His tone is an emphatic “stop it!” Three times He commands, “Don’t worry!” (verses 25, 31, 34). Worry is concern carried too far, so that it distracts us and disrupts our lives. Worry is the sin of unbelief; an expression of a lack of trust in our faithful Heavenly Father. Saying, God, I don’t trust you.
Jesus lists here our needs for food and drink, clothing, and shelter, and reminds us that the God who created us knows what we need. Furthermore, as our loving Father and Master, he promised and made himself responsible to supply our needs. He points to the birds He always feeds; to the lilies He beautifully clothes. They never worry.
As His children, Jesus tells us: “…seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.” The material things Jesus mentioned here are legitimate basic needs. But our first priority, as blood-bought children of God, must be His Kingdom. “We are in the world, but not of it.” Now, we live in two worlds and this one only temporary, but our eternal home is with the Heavenly Father.
We’re living in trying and tumultuous times. Increase your faith in our Heavenly Father through prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with other believers. He holds you in the palm of His strong yet gentle hand.
As Jesus said in Mathew 6 verses 25 thru 34.
“Therefore, I say to you, take no thought 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 than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit to his stature?
“Why take thought about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: They neither work, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you. Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof. (Matthew 6:25-34)
---Beverly Nickles