“Strive First For The Kingdom Of God”

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:25-34

Take a jar. Start filling it to the top with rocks. Is it full? Then take some smaller rocks and fill it up again. Is it full? Then finish the jar off by adding sand. Is it full? Finally, add water to it. Is it full now? The lesson to be learned is that to get everything in the jar, put the large things in first.

Jesus proclaimed a similar principle in the Sermon on the Mount. He knew that we waste our time worrying about the little things that seem so urgent but crowd out big things of eternal value. Know that our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need, and He will give those things to us, in His time.

Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then everything will be added to you.

What are you putting first in your life?

Those who lay up treasures in heaven are the richest people on earth.

Our Daily Bread – April 27, 2009