Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Matthew 6:19-33
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Commentary:
Chapter 6 could be construed as Jesus’ comment on two rival deities to God, two principal idols: fame (vv. 1–18) and money, along with the security it obtains (vv. 19–34). He opens with a direct prohibition, “Do not lay up … treasures,” calling it an exercise in futility. Moth and rust (two agents) do one thing: destroy. And a thief (one agent) does two things: break in and steal. Hoarding is sinful, selfish, and foolish. Natural forces, represented by moth and rust, which ruin fabrics and metals, slowly devour wealth. Beyond that, malicious humans rob each other. It is better to store treasure in heaven, where nothing can harm it. Not only are treasures safe with God; disciples are safer when they entrust their treasures to him, for the heart follows its treasures: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v. 21).
Daniel M. Doriani, “Matthew,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 113.
Daniel M. Doriani, “Matthew,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 113.
Questions:
Jesus began Matthew 6:19–20 by telling His followers not to store up treasures on earth, where everything is temporary, but to store up treasures in heaven. The things we spend so much of our lives working toward can disappear. Money can be spent, possessions wear out, homes eventually belong to someone else, and accomplishments that once felt significant may be forgotten. Jesus wasn't saying that these things are wrong or that we shouldn't plan for the future. He was reminding us that none of them will last forever. We can spend our entire lives building something here on earth and have very little to show for it in eternity.
The challenge is that so much of life is built around making things more comfortable, secure, and enjoyable for ourselves. We work hard to earn more, upgrade what we have, and create the life we want for our families. We can become so consumed with building a good life here that we give very little thought to what we're building for eternity. Our time, money, energy, and abilities are all things God has entrusted to us. We have to decide whether we'll use them only to improve our own lives or make them available for His purposes.
Jesus invites us to think beyond what we can gain for ourselves and consider what we can invest in His Kingdom. That might mean giving financially to support the work of the church, making time for someone who needs encouragement, serving someone who can't repay us, or using our resources to help others hear the good news about Jesus. These choices may not always feel significant in the moment, and they may require us to give up something we'd rather keep for ourselves. Each of these investments are something that will last long after the things we spend our money and time pursuing are gone.
The challenge is that so much of life is built around making things more comfortable, secure, and enjoyable for ourselves. We work hard to earn more, upgrade what we have, and create the life we want for our families. We can become so consumed with building a good life here that we give very little thought to what we're building for eternity. Our time, money, energy, and abilities are all things God has entrusted to us. We have to decide whether we'll use them only to improve our own lives or make them available for His purposes.
Jesus invites us to think beyond what we can gain for ourselves and consider what we can invest in His Kingdom. That might mean giving financially to support the work of the church, making time for someone who needs encouragement, serving someone who can't repay us, or using our resources to help others hear the good news about Jesus. These choices may not always feel significant in the moment, and they may require us to give up something we'd rather keep for ourselves. Each of these investments are something that will last long after the things we spend our money and time pursuing are gone.
- If you look at how you spend your money and use your time, what would you say you're working hardest to build? Are you giving more attention to creating a comfortable life for yourself or investing in things that have eternal value?
- Who has God placed in your life that you could be more intentional about investing in? What is one way you could use your time, abilities, or resources to encourage them or help them grow in their relationship with Jesus?
- Is there something you're spending money, time, or energy on that could be redirected toward God's Kingdom? What might you need to give up or rearrange to make room for that?
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to help you recognize where you've become too focused on temporary things.
- Pray for the people God has placed in your life and ask Him to show you how to encourage, serve, and invest in them.
- Ask God to make you generous with the resources He's entrusted to you, even when it requires sacrifice.
- Thank Jesus for inviting you to be part of His Kingdom and for giving your life purpose beyond what you can gain or accomplish here on earth.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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