Jesus had just discussed three issues about money, which were the fact that we should not focus on earthly treasures, that our eyes should desire which is eternal, and that serving Mammon or money is enmity to God. Now He started his next statement with a 'therefore'.
“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?” (Matthew 6:25)
“Therefore” in this sentence refers
to the previous topic. We could state it this way: “Since a treasure on earth is degradable and you cannot serve both
God and Money, why are you concerned about money? Why do you worry about your
life and material needs?”
The King James Version says, “Take no
thought.” Worry is like trying to drive your car in neutral gear—a lot of noise
and moving of the controls, but you get nowhere. When we worry, we waste a lot
of time thinking about something we can’t do much about.
We should take no thought for
anything we need for physical survival and productivity. For most of us,
survival in the modern days is much more complex than it was 2000 years ago. We
need more than food and clothes if we are to accomplish our goals. We may need
transportation, technical equipment, insurance, etc. Yet the Lord says not to give any
thought to these.
This is a tall order and Jesus knew
it, which is why He explained the following:
“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? Who of you by worrying can add a single
hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them.” (Matthew 6:26-32)
It is God who must do the thinking!
In the nineteenth century, George Muller took care of orphans by faith. He had
neither capital nor sponsors. God, however, had the resources. He knew that a
lot of His children managed His money well, so all George Muller had to do was
to care for the orphans, and God would care for the needs.
One morning, the orphanage had no
food. When the matron had told George about it, he told his friend's little daughter: "Abigail, come see what God is going to do." George told the matron that God would supply. Still, there was no food on
the table. George said to the children: “There’s not much time. I don’t want
any of you to be late for school, so let us pray.”
As the children bowed their heads,
George simply prayed: “Dear God, we thank You for what You are going to give us
to eat. Amen.”
The children had hardly sat down when
they heard a knock at the door. It was the town baker. He said he couldn’t
sleep the previous night until he had baked enough bread for the children. Soon
they had enough to eat.
Another knock sounded. It was the
milkman. “The wheel on my cart has broken, right outside your establishment.
I’ll have to lighten my load before I can fix it. I have ten full cans of milk
on it. Could you use them? Free of charge. Send someone to fetch them.”
George hadn’t known where he would
find food for the children, yet he had not scurried all over town begging for
food or organising committees. He knew his Source and he knew God’s promises
are true. How about you?
The Lord had told him beforehand what
He would do, just as He had told Jesus 2000 years before when He was to do a miracle. God cared for over a
million Israelites in a barren desert for over forty years, and Jesus fed over
five thousand people with a boy’s lunch.
What is the secret? It is faith. “Now faith
is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV). Before we have physical evidence
that our needs are met, we already see them as met, through faith. Faith is the
voucher proving that we will have what we look forward to. To be continued.
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