Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

Matt 6:25-34 

God’s care for His creation is truly amazing.  Nature reveals to us how He has seen to it that every creature’s basic needs are met.  And, as Christ tells us here, if He sees to the needs of the lesser creatures, how much more so will he care for His children who are created in His image?

Any time or effort spent worrying over what we will eat or wear is time lost and effort wasted.  If God cannot provide our needs (and of course He can) our worrying about it sure won’t make the situation any better.  In fact worry will only make it worse!

The promise here is that God will make sure the fundamental requirements of life are available to us: food, clothing, and shelter.  Nothing is said here of wants and desires or ease.  If you have ever watched a mother bird feeding her young you know how hard she works just to provide that most basic need for them.  Her job is not easy and, more often than not, she goes without.  But God takes care of her and she endures.  The next year she will do it again.

Yes, God does take care of us.  But we must do our part.  Paul said, “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either” (2 Thess. 3:10).  From the ant to the elephant, all creatures great and small must work for the food God provides; we are no different.   Also, we must seek “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).  These hold far more value than food or clothing.  They are, in fact, the greatest of all man’s needs.  And how great a promise Jesus makes: if we give priority to the things of God, He will add all “these things” to us.

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ