Daily Reading: Gen. 19:12-20:7; Matt. 6:16-34
But seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
There are mainly two ways to live: Like Jesus is King or you are
king. In the kingdom where you are king, there are pros and cons. The
pro is that you are king. The con is that you are king. In other words,
you might have power to choose your desires first, but you also are
solely responsible and there is no one to pray to if the buck stops
with you! Being king isn’t always as fun as it seems.
Like the little boy who was tired of being told what to do and says, “I
want to be boss.” One evening at the dinner table, he’d had enough. He
determined it was his turn to be boss. So Dad promoted him. “Buster,
for the next hour, you are boss.” The boy gleamed. “My day has
arrived,” he thought. Then the requests started coming in. Big sister
asked if she could go to the mall with her friends. “Oh and by the way,
I need a ride and $20.” The boy thought for a minute, looking
befuddled. The new “boss” was already in a quandary. Finally, he perked
up with the solution. “Go ask your mother,” he piped. Being boss isn’t
all it’s cracked up to be.
There’s a small thrill of being in charge, but there’s a weight that
comes with it! The anxiety. This is what Jesus says it’s like when you
are your own God, when you place anything first besides God. What is
life like when you are king? Here it is: Anxiety!
What will I eat? Drink? Wear? How long will I live? Is this sickness
serious? Will Islam institute Sharia law here? Will I die alone?
Anxiety. Jesus says, “These things dominate the thoughts of
unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
(Matthew 6:32 NLT)
But I don’t worry
about food and clothes, you say. I know I can go to Salvation
Army or the local food pantry. And there’s welfare. But do you
worry about who will love you tomorrow? Will I get married? Will my kids get into
college? Will
I die alone?
So Jesus’ solution? It isn’t just “Stop worrying!” It’s to stop being king--and to pray.
TO PRAY FIRST,
IS A WAY TO SAY, JESUS IS KING AND I’M NOT. Start
making God your first pursuit. Paul said the same thing didn’t he? “Be anxious for nothing. But
pray about everything.” (Phil. 4:6)
What might change if…
--when your child is having trouble at school, you would pray and seek
God’s kingdom first?
--when you’re going for an interview, you prayed first not last?
--when you’re making plans for the year, you sought to know God’s plans
first?
--when you started each day, you prayed first?
Begin today. Pray first. Make God #1.
Prayer: Father,
so often I have begun our talks with what I want. Today, I begin by
asking that You open my eyes to what You want. Cause Your Scriptures to
pierce my selfish ambitions and make me aware of Your activity around me.
I want to partner with You to accomplish Your will in my days and bring
You glory.
For further study:
What does Jesus mean when He says, “Therefore, do not be
anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”?
Most concerns, worry and anxiety are not about what’s happening right
now but what might happen. What
if this headache turns out to be a tumor? What if my son leaves home
and I never see him again? What if my wife has an affair? What if my
company goes bankrupt? What if I die alone?
Now, because the world is broken and mankind is fallen, these things do
happen. But worrying today about what might happen tomorrow isn’t
helpful according to Jesus.
Sure, some might use this as an excuse not to plan, prepare or
strategize for the future. But other passages like Proverbs 6:6-15 tell
us otherwise. The wise man is a man who plans for the future but knows
he can’t control the outcomes.
I’ve heard of those who are martyred for their faith. In fact, right
now some friends of mine in India are suffering for their faith with
public harassment and burglary. I’ve thought, “How will I respond if
that ever happens to me? Will my faith be strong enough? Will I remain
faithful to Christ?”
What Jesus seems to say here throughout this passage is that God
supplies what we need when we need it. He gives us DAILY bread. And
here in v.34, He says in so many words, “There is enough trouble for
you to face today without worrying about the trouble you’ll face
tomorrow. I will supply the grace, the bread, the strength, the love,
the faith you need for today. So don’t worry about tomorrow.”[1]
Grace to you,
Pastor Shawn
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