Wednesday 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:
The Sovereign Lord cares for all his creatures, and if he feeds birds and clothes flowers, surely he will feed and clothe mankind, the crown of creation (Genesis 1). Jesus was fond of rhetorical questions that invite people to reason with him (Matt. 6:25–28). First, is life not more than the food and clothing that sustain it? Yes. Second, if God feeds birds, who work but have no organized plans to sow, harvest, or store food, will he not care for people, who are more valuable? Yes. Third, does worry accomplish anything? The ESV asks who, by worrying, can “add a single hour to his span of life” (v. 27). The Greek asks “who can add a span [ pēchys] to his life/height [hēlikia]” by worrying. A pēchys was a cubit, or 18 inches (46 cm; cf. John 21:8; Rev. 21:17). A hēlikia was a measure of height or age. Pēchys rarely, if ever, meant “hour”; hōra meant “hour.” If one had no text but Matthew 6:27, he would hear humorous irony: Can anyone grow eighteen inches by worrying about his height? But when Luke quotes the same question in 12:25, then calls a pēchys “a small thing” in 12:26, this supports the “hour of life” interpretation. Regardless, one can accomplish neither remarkable things, like growing a foot, nor trivial things, like living one extra hour, by worrying. Worry, though it comes so natural to us, is absurd.
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), 115.
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), 115.
Questions:
An unexpected expense can change everything about a day. A car needs repairs, a bill is higher than expected, work hours get cut, or some gets laid off from their job. You start doing the math, moving numbers around, and wondering how everything is going to work. Even when you know God provides, it's hard not to worry when the numbers don't seem to add up.
Jesus spoke directly to this kind of worry in Matthew 6. He pointed to the birds that don't plant or store food and the flowers that don't work to provide their own clothing. Yet God cares for them. Jesus reminded His followers that their Heavenly Father knows exactly what they need. He wanted His followers to understand that they had a Father who saw them and cared for them.
Money can give us a sense of security. When there's enough in the bank, the bills are paid, and there's room for unexpected expenses, it's easier to feel at peace. But when that security disappears, worry can take over quickly. We begin looking at our bank accounts for reassurance, trying to figure out how we'll manage everything, and imagining all the things that could go wrong. Sometimes a financial setback exposes just how much we've been depending on our money to make us feel safe.
You may have your own story of a time when you weren't sure how you would make it through, but God provided. Maybe He opened a door to a new job, sent someone who helped at just the right time, or gave you strength to get through a difficult season. Remembering those times can help when a new challenge comes along. The way God cared for you before gives you reason to trust Him today.
Jesus tells us to seek God's Kingdom first and not spend our lives consumed with tomorrow's worries. That doesn't mean ignoring bills, refusing to plan, or avoiding wise financial decisions. We still have responsibilities. But worry can take over so much of our attention that we lose sight of the God who knows what we need. We start living as though everything depends on us and our ability to figure it all out.
Jesus spoke directly to this kind of worry in Matthew 6. He pointed to the birds that don't plant or store food and the flowers that don't work to provide their own clothing. Yet God cares for them. Jesus reminded His followers that their Heavenly Father knows exactly what they need. He wanted His followers to understand that they had a Father who saw them and cared for them.
Money can give us a sense of security. When there's enough in the bank, the bills are paid, and there's room for unexpected expenses, it's easier to feel at peace. But when that security disappears, worry can take over quickly. We begin looking at our bank accounts for reassurance, trying to figure out how we'll manage everything, and imagining all the things that could go wrong. Sometimes a financial setback exposes just how much we've been depending on our money to make us feel safe.
You may have your own story of a time when you weren't sure how you would make it through, but God provided. Maybe He opened a door to a new job, sent someone who helped at just the right time, or gave you strength to get through a difficult season. Remembering those times can help when a new challenge comes along. The way God cared for you before gives you reason to trust Him today.
Jesus tells us to seek God's Kingdom first and not spend our lives consumed with tomorrow's worries. That doesn't mean ignoring bills, refusing to plan, or avoiding wise financial decisions. We still have responsibilities. But worry can take over so much of our attention that we lose sight of the God who knows what we need. We start living as though everything depends on us and our ability to figure it all out.
- Think back to a time when money was tight or an unexpected expense put you in a difficult spot. How did God provide for you during that season? Looking back, can you see ways He cared for you that you may not have recognized at the time?
- When your finances feel secure, where does your sense of peace come from? How quickly does that peace disappear when something unexpected happens? What does that tell you about how much you're depending on your financial situation for security?
- Is there a financial concern you're carrying right now that has been taking up much of your attention? Is there someone you need to ask for help or be honest with about what you're facing?
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the ways financial security has become the source of your peace rather than trusting your Heavenly Father.
- Thank God for the ways He has provided for you in past seasons, especially when you couldn't see how things would work out.
- Ask God for wisdom with your finances and peace when circumstances feel uncertain.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust God with tomorrow while faithfully handling the responsibilities in front of you today.
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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