Matthew 6:31-34
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What
shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the
morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof.
When
you examine Matthew 6:19-27 you see that God is concerned about every area of
our life:
· He is interested in your financial needs (v 19-21). Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.
· He is interested in your darkness (v 22-23). The light of the body is the eye: if
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if
thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the
light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
· He is interested in your difficult decisions (v 24). No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.
· He is interested in your fear (v 25). Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought
for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your
body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?
· He is interested in your self-worth (v 26). Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
· He is interested in your struggle with God’s design (v 27). Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
· He is interested in your battle with materialism (v 28-30). And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these. 30
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Providence is...
· Foresight; timely care; active foresight, foresight accompanied
with the procurement of what is necessary for future use.
· In theology, the care and superintendence which God.
· A belief in Divine Providence is a source of great comfort to good
men.
We
spend too much time worrying about things of temporal value.
·
These
conflicts and struggles are natural to ALL man.
·
As we grow
in Christ these should be increasingly less time consuming.
· God takes our struggles and turns them into things
of value.
1. HIS STORMS. Matthew 8:23-27 And when he was entered into a ship, his
disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in
the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25
And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds
and the sea obey him!
Ps 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm,
so that the waves thereof are still.
Ps 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
2. HIS TOUCH. Matthew 8:2-3 And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him,
saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
His Touch
Changes Lives...
· Jesus
touched Jacob’s thigh and he never walked the same again (Gen 32:24-25).
· Jesus touched
the life of a blind man, a demon possessed man, a harlot, a dead girl &
boy, a tax collector, etc.
3.
HIS PLAN. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the
Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4. HIS HILLS. Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my
help.
The Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17). (Peter, James, John).
The Mountain of Sacrifice (Genesis 22).
5. HIS VALLEYS. Psalm 23 The
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in
green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my
soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever.
· The Valley of Decision (Joel 3:14). Multitudes, multitudes in the
valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
· The Valley of Death (Ps 116:15). Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Christ will be there.
Life
is easy when you're up on the mountain
And
you've got peace of mind like you've never known.
But
things change when you're down in the valley.
Don't
lose faith for you're never alone.
For
the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When
things go wrong, He'll make them right.
And
the God of the good times is still God in the bad times.
The
God of the day is still God in the night.
6.
HIS VOICE. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
·
There is the Voice of Salvation. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.
·
There is the Voice of Instruction. Proverbs 8:33 Hear instruction, and be
wise, and refuse it not.
·
There is the Voice of Comfort. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another
with these words.
