Verse of the Day 1/12

Verse of the Day 1/12

Matthew 6:31-33 English Standard Version

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.

In this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings up the topic of being anxious 5 times in this short passage.  That should catch our attention.  Being anxious, having anxiety over seemingly insignificant things is probably part of our every day lives consuming way to much time and attention and keeping us away from time spent doing worthwhile things.

How many of us can think of a time when a child, spouse or perhaps we ourselves have stood in a closet full of clothes and fretted, saying out loud "I have nothing to wear".  How many of us have heard our kids, spouses our ourselves stood in front of the refrigerator or cupboard full of food and said "there is nothing to eat in this house".  It is all about perspective and often; in terms of clothing, thinking about how others will think about the way we look.

Jesus encourages us not to dwell on these things giving us more time to spend on the important matters in life, both physical and spiritual.

This is a promise of sorts — the simple promise of reality that you can discover from experience: Being anxious will simply not do you any good. That's a promise. This is not the main argument, but sometimes we just have to get tough with ourselves and say, "Soul, this fretting is absolutely useless. It promises nothing. You are not only messing up your own day, but a lot of other people's as well. Renounce it. Leave it with God. And get on with your work.....Anxiety accomplishes nothing worthwhile. That's a promise. Believe it. Act on it."

The next time you find yourself standing in the closet or in front of the refrigerator, think about these verses.

O.S. Hawkins writes, "The real test of our spiritual maturity is not so much our actions as our reactions. In fact, the entire message of this Sermon on the Mount has to do with our reactions."

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of

 God's grace.  NIV

Matthew 6:25-34

English Standard Version

Do Not Be Anxious

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?[a]

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.