Poor in spirit

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

POOR IN SPIRIT

Matt 5:1-12

5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

NIV

We have come to what is referred to as the Beatitudes. Certainly we cannot deal with all of these in one devotion. So as would be expected we will take one at a time and dissect it and see just how these words of Christ have an impact in our lives.  This is the first time we are privy to any of the teachings of Christ, at least in Matthew’s gospel. Luke does have other teachings of Christ before he sat down here and spoke these words. Why Matthew chose not to include what Luke did is uncertain, however we are here now and should deal with what Matthew presents to us.  We would expect them to have a great deal of importance as he chose to start of his teaching with these conditions or attitudes we should display or think about ourselves. The first is,

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Luke also records this teaching of Jesus, but he does not include “in spirit”. So then the question is whether Jesus meant the poor in material things, or the poor in spiritually things. It would seem our scholars have such a wide variety of opinions on both matters that is would be wise to rely on the Spirit who leads us into all truth. First we should note the word blessed is to imply happy, well off, satisfied, content. This is not to imply glad, joyously jumping up and down in glee. This is an internal condition of the heart of our being. We are well off within us, being satisfied and content because of our relationship with God. Blessed is not the word used as an act of God giving us some blessing, so to speak, it is an inward peace knowing him. This is how we feel inwardly not when we are poor in material things, but when we are poor in spirit. So what does it mean to have poverty in the inner being of ourselves? This is the opposite of being haughty in spirit. Those who refuse to accept Jesus are the haughty in spirit. They do not need the crutch of Christianity, as the weak minded do, is their thought. But to be poor in spirit implies we know we are lost without Christ. We have nothing without him. We are spiritually destitute unless we have Christ in our lives. Jesus spoke of this issue in his address to the churches.

Rev 3:17-18

17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

NIV

These who think we are the weak minded because we trust in Jesus, thinking they are rich, and perhaps they are in worldly ways, yet without Christ they are truly the wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. They lack the inner peace we have in Christ. They lack everything we have in Christ. This being poor in spirit carries the whole of our knowing we are nothing without Christ. This attitude should not be influenced by the world in how we behave in and out of Church. We should not ever think we are better than anyone, in or outside of church. We should always have an attitude of humility, first humbling ourselves before God, and then before men. Because we have a quiet sense of peace and calmness within, it should show outwardly. When we acknowledge our poverty before God, accepting his grace, his mercy, his salvation, then we will experience this attitude of blessed.

What has heppened

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

WHAT HAS HAPPENED

Matt 4:23-25

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

NIV

What has happened to us? Here we see Jesus doing what Jesus does. Now the question is, why is he doing all this healing? Is it so that people will believe him as the Son of God, with all authority? Is it because he has compassion on the people who are in need of being healed? Certainly we would have to say that he was preaching about the Good News. Why would he preach about anything else? We are told that he was preaching the good news about the kingdom. What is the Good News? That he is the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God who came to be a sacrifice for sin, and through him people can have eternal life. What other good news could they be? But the majority of this narrative is about his healing hundreds upon hundreds of people from all over the area. People not just from the ten cities of Galilee, but people came from Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordon. We could get into a geography lesson here, but that is not germane to the point of a life lesson. The point is either the good news or all the healing by Jesus. Many believers today have come to Jesus not because he healed them, but to find eternal life, or to find some blessings from God. At least that seems to be the general consensus from knowing many believers over the years of our life. Jesus did many things while he was here. Preached the good news about the kingdom. He healed many people. He performed miracles. He died on the cross for our sin. He rose again to ascend to the right hand of the Father, showing us victory over death. Much of this we believe, but why are we all not healed today? Do many of us see miracles? We have accepted the good news about the kingdom and so does that mean we do not need miracles or healings? Yet at times throughout this man’s life (trying to stay in the third person) he has seen both many miracles and quite a few miraculous healings. Were they all to make this man believe more? The point seems to be that need to believe Jesus will still heal us, still do miracles in our lives. He has not stopped being Jesus. We believe God answers prayer. Jesus said that if we ask for anything from Jesus, he will do it.

John 14:12-14

2 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

NIV

So what has happened to us? Why don’t we ask Jesus? Do we really not have the faith? Is not one of the gifts of the Spirit healing? Is not another doing miracles? Do we just dismiss them believing they were just for the Apostles? Then we have to dismiss eternal life as well, for that was just for the Apostles. But that is not the truth for Jesus told us that whosoever believes will have eternal life and not perish. We are the whosoevers. If what he offered to his disciples is also offered to us then should not all the gifts along with the armor of God and the fruit of the Spirit be available to us today? So what has happened to us? It may be time to reassess our faith. Have we allowed the world to infiltrate our thinking? Have we accepted the terms the world has to offer instead of what Jesus has to offer? Do we look to the medical profession instead of Jesus for a healing? Do we look to our own abilities instead of Jesus? Maybe it is time to be more like a child with simple faith. Maybe we have allowed too much sin to crowd out that child-like faith. Maybe we have replace that child-like faith with too much studying of the word, seeing thing intellectually instead with eyes of faith.  Jesus healed them all. Should we not accept the same from him now? 

Going fishing

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

            GOING FISHING

Matt 4:18-22

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

NIV

Here we have the call of Peter, Andrew, James and John. It is very doubtful these four men knew anything about Jesus as he grew up in Nazareth and these men grew up in the land of Zebulun or the land of Naphtali in Capernaum. Although we do not know how long it has been since Jesus started preaching, “Repent, the kingdom of God is near”. It is possible these men had hear him preaching before this call on their lives. Yet it is for certain they were not aware of who is actually was. If they had heard him, they might have considered him to be a prophet at best. From history we know at this time it had been some four hundred years since Israel heard from a prophet. John the Baptist would have been the first and again all of Israel may or may not have heard of him either. Either case Jesus must have spoken with authority, as one who has that authority over all that was made. Whether they knew anything about Jesus or not, the point is they did not hesitate one bit to leave what they were doing and followed him. The Greek word translated “at once” and “Immediately” is the exact same word. Why the translators used two English words is unknown. Yet the point is they followed him at the very moment he called them. Our life lesson is in the words Jesus spoke to them. He said that he would make the fishers of men. We cannot be certain just exactly what they thought it meant to be a fisher of men. We certainly do and although this is the calling of his twelve that are referred to as the Apostles, this is also a calling on all believers. Why would we believe the whole of our salvation is totally centered on us? We accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and receive eternal life. Then we get all the stuff. We get the Spirit, we get the gifts, we get the armor, and we get the fruit. Then we get all the material stuff, the blessings of God because we seek him first and all these things will be added on us as well. Everything is about us. What do we get out of accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior seems to be the general thought of many believers. What did Peter, Andrew, James and John think they were going to get? It seems the only thing was to be taught how to be fishers of men. Is that not our calling? Are we not called to go out into all the world and preach the gospel or was that again just for the twelve? Why else would we have the Spirit, the gifts, the armor and the fruit, if he did not intend for us to be out in the world being fishers of men? If we are not, than it would appear we have that “us four and no more” attitude or perhaps a completely self-absorbed attitude, with everything being about how God blesses us. If the only people we associated with are other believers then who are we fishing for? So often we spend time studying the scriptures, or listening to sermons on how we can be a better Christian. How can we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior any better than we already did? The fact is we are either a Christian or not. We cannot be a worse or a better one. But what we can do better is fish. We can learn how to be better fisher of men. These four men spent the next three years in the presence of Jesus, watching and listening to everything he did and said. They learned from him. But still they were not fully prepared until he left and sent the Spirit to them and to us. So as with them, we have all we need. We have his words, his deeds, and all the gifts, the armor, the fruit and the Spirit to become fishers of men. So let’s go fishing. 

A new day dawning

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

 NEW DAY DAWNING

Matt 4:12-17

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."  

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 

NIV

We should make one more note about those temptations the devil presented to Jesus before we dive into these words. If Jesus had yielded in the slightest way, he would then not be qualified to be the sacrifice for sin. He would have been a sinner himself. After pondering on those three temptations we come to consider there may have been a pattern. The first, the stones into bread presumed on the goodness of God, the second throwing himself down, presumed on the power of God, and the third accepting the kingdoms from the devil would have rejected the honoring of God. These are areas we should be watchful of as well. Now onto these words regarding who Jesus is and what he is engaged in doing. Sometimes there are things we are told that cause a bid of pondering. When Jesus headed back to Galilee, but left Nazareth and went to Capernaum instead, to fulfill what the prophet said, did he do it in order to fulfill what was said about him through the prophet? He would have known what Isaiah said concerning him. So was he acting out the words to fulfill them or was he doing what he was doing because that is what he decided to do and it was just that Isaiah had been told that was what he was going to do? We just cannot be certain of which is the way it was, although we would have to believe Jesus knew what had been said about him, as it was him who told Isaiah in the first place what he was going to do. But it is in those words that we find our life lesson. “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.” We once lived in the land of the shadow of death, but we saw the dawn of light. When walking through a dark tunnel without even a glimmer of light there is no hope of coming to the end of the darkness. We would have no glue as to how long we must stay in the darkness of that tunnel. Our lives before Christ were just like that, no hope of ever seeing anything but darkness. Yet a light has dawned, and we finally began to see the light. The light of Jesus broke into our darkness and we could see again. There are people in this world who are still groping through the darkness of the shadow of death. Although they are in the darkness, death awaits them at the end of their journey. We know Jesus is the light of the world, and that he can find a way to be the dawn of light in their lives. But he has also told us that we are also the light of the world. Jesus said that while he is in the world he is the light.

John 9:5

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 

NIV

But Jesus has left the world, he ascended back into heaven and both sits as the right hand of the Father, as well as makes continual intercession for us. So having left the world, he makes sure we know that now that we have accepted him as our Lord and Savior, we become the light of the world.

Matt 5:14-16

14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

NIV

It is up to us to become the dawn of light in the darkness of their lives. We can bring them hope of an end to their journey in the shadow of death. When Jesus arrived in the land of Zebulun and the Land of Naphtali he began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near”.  He began to tell people they needed to have a change of mind, a change in their thinking, a change of heart concerning the path of life they were on. This is our mission as the light of the world. We put our light in a lampstand, living our faith out loud, unashamed of the gospel. As the light of the world we need to be shining our light, being that dawn of light to those who are walking in the shadow of death. We can give them hope of a new life in the light. We also know there will be some who refuse to come into to the light for their love darkness.

John 3:16-21

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.   19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

NIV

Although this is true, Jesus never condemned anyone to stay in the darkness, he brought the light so all men may have life. This too is our cause. We might find some who would prefer to stay in the darkness, that is their choice, but we cannot stop shining the light of Jesus into that darkness in hopes some will see the light as we did while we were in that same darkness. We must let that light shine. Let the dawn begin. Let us be that new day dawning for someone in the darkness. 

Resist

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

RESIST

Matt 4:8-11

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"  11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

NIV

We cannot be certain what high mountain the devil could show all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor from, but here they were. There is much discussion among our scholars about some physical mountain that would give sight to several of the surrounding kingdoms, but none see this as it is. If we believe that God sees into the hearts of all men, all over the entire world, if we believe that God sees the actions of all men all over the entire world, if we believe God is all seeing, all knowing, and all present then somewhere in a high and lifted place in the heavenly realms the devil and Jesus view all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Perhaps it was a visual representation instead of in the physical, but the first two temptations appear to be physical, but then they too could have just been in a visual temptation, an illusion of sorts. This is how we consider his temptations within our lives. Seldom are we physically taken to some place to be tempted, but he gives us a visual illusion. However we could also be taken to a place by some events which would put us in grave temptation. Wherever they were actually located the point is in the temptation. The devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. First, we have to wonder, were they the devils to offer? Jesus has referred to the devil as the prince of this world.

John 12:30-32

30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

NIV

There are other references to this fact, the devil, Satan is the prince of the world. Therefore it would be right to consider he has them under his power. The prince of darkness reigns in the hearts and minds of all the kingdoms of the world in all its splendor. This is what he offered to Jesus, to relinquish his authority over the world and give all mankind to the authority of Jesus, if only Jesus would acknowledge that the devil was greater than God. This is why he was cast out of heaven in the first place. As Lucifer, one of the most beautiful angels, he challenged God, thinking himself as being better, greater then God. So now he attempts that same scheme with Jesus. Of course Jesus tells him the only one to worship is God. By his own authority he demands the devil to go away from him, and he must obey Jesus. This is how we are tempted in many areas of our life. The devil comes and shows us the splendors of the world, offering to give us much of that splendor. The drive many people have for the accumulation of wealth, the gathering of splendor, is nothing more than a temptation of the devil to keep people from worshipping and serving the Lord. Jesus has told us that we cannot serve two masters.

Luke 16:13

13 "No servant can serve two masters . Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 

NIV

This is the splendor of the kingdoms of the world, material gain, money, wealth. The devil would want us to serve him, serve money and in doing so we cannot serve God. When the devil offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, it also would have given Jesus no reason to go to the cross. If he was given all authority over the world, if the devil relinquished his authority to Jesus, then he would not have to die for the sins of the world in order for man to be reconciled to God. It was a ploy to keep Jesus from the cross, which in essence took the authority from the devil over the world anyway. This is why it is so important for us to remain in Christ. The devil has no authority over us as long as we are in Christ. That does not mean he has stopped trying to tempt us. In fact he most likely spends more efforts in tempting us, then those who have yet to escape his authority over them by repenting, having a change in their thinking, and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He already rules in their lives, he already has them captive in darkness, so he need not tempt them. He tempts those of us who have already had a change of mind and are believers in Christ. So he tempts us with the splendor of this world. He is deceptive as well. He may not come right at us with a frontal attack, but with stealth and underhanded methods he slips in little temptations, incrementally, so we may not be aware it is even a temptation. We have to be ever vigilant. This is why the Lord has given us his armor, to protect us from those attacks. But we must put the armor on. We have to wear it daily. It protects our mind, our heart, our loins, and our steps. We have our shield of faith which will extinguish any of the devils attacks. We need not fear his temptations, because we have the weapons to keep us from being overpowered by him and his temptations. Let us then take our stand, resist the devil as Jesus did, and he will flee from us.

James 4:7

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

NIV

Testing

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

TESTING

Matt 4:5-7

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 

NIV

This is the second of the temptations the devil came at Jesus with. This time he took Jesus to a place for this temptation, the highest place on the temple in Jerusalem. We are not sure exactly why the devil used scripture in an attempt to motivate Jesus to yield to his temptation, but it may have been because his first temptation failed because Jesus responded with scripture. So it is possible the devil thought he might have more success if he used the scripture to temp Jesus. Of course we know Jesus just turned that around and answered him with the appropriate scripture to show the devil how wrong he was. The point here for us as a lesson is we always have to be aware that temptations may not always come from an evil perspective. We might face temptations from someone using scripture, at least enough of it to appear right. What would be wrong for Jesus to prove to the devil he was the Son of God? First off, the devil already knew who Jesus was. Jesus was there in heaven when Lucifer was cast down to earth. Jesus was there when Satan was in the presence of God concerning Job. Jesus knows this tempter very well, they are not strangers. With as many encounters we have had with the devil we too should not be strangers with him either. By now we should be very aware of his methods of tempting us. Yet it is possible we might find certain temptations coming to us with the use of scripture. There are many false prophets, false teachers who would fleece the flock, so to speak. They use the scriptures to tempt people into false thinking, false doctrines or theology. Several years ago there was a great movement with certain areas of Christianity that subscribed to the name it and claim it thinking. That would say that God obligated himself to do whatever we said. Trying that out on the golf course, naming a hole in one, proves that this thinking does not always work. But still we have to understand the devil will come to us, even take us places and attempt to subdue us with scripture. This is the importance of being led by the Spirit and not only by scripture. Man can mislead by using the scripture. Man can misuse the scripture for his own agenda. Maybe the proof of that lies in the multitude of denominations. If they all were being led by the Spirit, then they all would be saying the same thing, believing the same truths. There are so many scriptures they all have differences about, it is difficult to think they are all lead by the Spirit. Jesus had just experienced his baptism in water as well as the Spirit descending upon him. Did it leave him? Very doubtful, as he was led into the wilderness by the Spirit. So the devil used scripture without the aid of the Spirit, but Jesus used scripture as led by the Spirit. Should we do any less? This should give us a clue as to whom we should fellowship with, unless we have been called to be a missionary to that fellowship which does not understand the leading of the Spirit. The key for us is to always be aware of the Spirit, listening to him, not only to men who use the scriptures to either preach or teach. Jesus had the Spirit and he was God in the flesh. We mere humans certainly need the Spirit to lead us into all truth. If we are truly led by the Spirit we will know there is no need to test the Lord. 

Not bread alone

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

NOT BREAD ALONE

Matt 4:1-4

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 

NIV

The first thing we notice is that Jesus was led by the Spirit. We know Jesus is God, and so is the Spirit, just as the Father. But they are three persons, individual aspects of the Triune God. Jesus was fully God, but he was also fully man, with every aspect of humanity, knowing gladness, sorrow, pain, passion, every emotion we all are created with. Would Jesus had gone into the desert to be tempted by the devil of his own free will? That would beg the question to be asked if we go to places to be tempted by the devil of our own free will. We certainly pray within the “Lord’s prayer”, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. Yet here we have the Spirit leading Jesus right into the position to be tempted by evil. We can only conclude that Jesus knew just how tempting the devil makes things, and that it is extremely difficult to resist. He gives us the best method to resist the temptations of the devil also, right in this text. It is also interesting that Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. It sort of fits with the forty years the children of Israel were led in the wilderness by the Spirit of God. This is the reference Jesus uses in his response to the temptation to turn stones into bread.

Deut 8:1-4

8:1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

NIV

The bread does not just represent food to eat, but the very idea of everything the world has to offer. This thought comes from the comparison that Jesus makes between the bread from stones and the word of God. We cannot live on bread alone, on the ideas or ideologies of the world, we must have the word of God in order to fully live. This also makes the comparison between living only in the temporal or the eternal. Man cannot have life, eternal life, on bread, on the world alone, in order to have eternal life we need the word of God, showing us the way through Jesus. The devil would want us to look to the stones, to look to the world for our life and that is a great temptation. It is easy to get trapped by the ways of the world, to be catch up in desires of things, of financial security, and all the advancements man has developed. Although we do live in this world, we have been admonished not to be of this world. That is all wrapped up in these words of Jesus. We cannot live by the ways of the world alone, in order to truly live, we need the word of God. Jesus did not make the stones into bread, he refused it because he had the word of God. This should give us this clue, that we should refuse the world, its ways, its ideologies, its systems of materialism and live by the word of God. It is not that we will go without the material things in life, as the Lord has make sure of that.

Matt 6:24-34

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

NIV

Seek first the word of God, for we simply cannot live on bread alone.