Daily Devotional For Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Today is Terrific Tuesday and you’re off to another week in the Lord. We are making our way through the most famous sermon ever – Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. You can read this in Matthew chapters  5, 6, & 7. We are wrapping up our discussion of Matthew 6:25-34, specifically verses 31-34:

 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (27) And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? (28) And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, (29) yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. (30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! (31) Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ (32) For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (34) “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NASB).

A disciple of Jesus Christ cannot worship and worry at the same time. It is impossible. One of the main reasons that worry is a sin is because we turn it into an idol. We worship our worry rather than worshiping the Lord. This is why Jesus refers to “Gentiles” in verse 32. The New Testament word for “gentiles” is [ἔθνος, ethnos]. We get our English word “ethnic and ethnicity from this word. In the New Testament this word is used to refer to non-believers, people who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ.

Many “Gentiles” are those who have no hope with their concerns. Those who have no hope in God naturally put their hope and expectations in things, or other people or politics or the government to assist them. They have nothing to live for but the present, and their materialism is perfectly consistent with their unbelief. They do not trust God to supply their physical or their spiritual needs, their present or their eternal needs, so anything they get they must get for themselves laboriously. They are ignorant of God’s supply and have no claim on it. No heavenly Father cares for them, so there is every reason for them to worry. Their motto is found at the very end of 1 Corinthians 15:32, “ . . . let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (NASB).

This is an unwise and foolish motto for disciples of Jesus Christ to emulate when we have a heavenly Father who has provided us with eternal security through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is so sad that so many people who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ worry. They allow their minds to be overtaken by fear from the devil that God has lied to them and cannot take care of them.

Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this: 

“When we think like the world and crave like the world, we will worry like the world, because a mind that is not centered on God is a mind that has cause to worry” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 426).

Jesus’ solution to this is Matthew 6:33. He commands us to seek first God’s kingdom and all these other concerns will be taken care of by God – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (NASB). Just a point of grammar and syntax here. The Greek New Testament word translated as “but” is [δέ, de]. It is better translated as “instead of” or “rather.” Meaning, “Rather than worrying about clothes and food as unbelievers or non-disciples do, we need to focus our attention on the things of God first. And when we do that, He will take care of our concerns. 

Jesus commands us to seek two things: God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.” “Kingdom” is the Greek New Testament word [βασιλεία, basileia]. This can refer to an actual geographical kingdom. But this word is often used to refer to “rule” or “reign.” This means we are willing to lose ourselves in His kingdom and not ours. The Apostle Paul talked about how he did this in Acts 20:24, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (NASB).

“To seek God’s kingdom” is to seek what is close to the heart of God. 

1. First, this means we seek first to build God’s kingdom and not our own personal kingdom. We are not stockpiling material possessions, wealth, money and etc. just for ourselves. We know it all belongs to Him.
2. Second, it means we seek what is close to the heart of God. Jesus tells us what that is in Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (NAAB). A person who claims to be a disciple of Jesus and does not seek to win people to Christ, may have deceived themselves into thinking false they are one. There is a big difference between being in Christ and being in the church. 

Just before Jesus ascended back to heaven, He gave us what is called “The Great Commission” in Matthew 28:19-20. In that group of 120, only 11 were from the original 12 disciples. Judas had already committed suicide by hanging himself. The remaining 109 were just regular folks like you. Nowhere does it say that Jesus limited His words to the 11 disciples standing there. He said them to all 120. Therefore, Matthew 28:19-20 is not just a command to paid staff members, but to all members.

3  Third, we seek God’s kingdom when we yearn for His second return. One day, Jesus is going to return in glory. One day every knee will bow to Him – in heaven, on earth, and in the devilish and demonic world and say, “Jesus is Lord!” We long for that day.

4.  Fourth, it means we seek His righteousness. Instead of hungering and thirsting for the things of this word, we hunger and thirst for Him and His holiness in our lives. This we can do today. The Apostle Peter put it this way in 2 Peter 3:11-12, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” (NASB).

New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton tells us how we can “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” “Jesus put all the good we seek to do in divine perspective here: Seek God’s kingdom! Here are some ways to do that:

• Realize that your church, for all its faults, is your extended Christian family. Serve it well. Give it your energy and time.
• Eagerly tell people how much Jesus means to you personally.
• Direct your work to projects and purposes that God would approve.
• Keep promises made to family and friends.
• Show a lot of love to the people God puts in your life.
• Get with a group of Christian friends and add three specific items to this list that you will work on during the next month. These friends can hold you accountable.

Good grades are important, and physical fitness is better than frailty, but neither are top-of-the-list priorities. A loving marriage makes life happy, and workplace promotions affirm our skills, but neither constitutes the last word. When we attempt to assign the appropriate amount of time to the kingdom of God and his righteousness so that we can figure out how much time we have left to do other activities, we reduce Jesus’ words to a lesson in sequence and planning rather than a command about the whole of life. But if we think of “seek first” as “consistently look for, honor throughout, represent constantly, and remember always,” then the ways we deal with family, friends, work, leisure, etc., will all be transformed. The rule of God and God’s rules will determine and direct our efforts in every area of life. If this is not the case, we are not seeking first God’s kingdom or righteousness” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible, “Matthew,” pp. 126-127).

What is the righteousness we are to pursue? What Jesus’ tells us in The Sermon On The Mount. That is the righteousness that makes us relationally right with Jesus Christ and with others. If there was ever a sermon to live, it is this one.

Questions To Consider

1. One of the ways we are to be different from “Gentiles,” unbelievers, is that we do not worry. Is God’s rule and reign evident in your life in that you do not worry? Why or why not?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 15:32 above. Is your life different from this? Why or why not? If so, how is it different?
3. Would God say you are building His kingdom or your kingdom? Why?
4. “To seek His kingdom” means every disciple of Jesus has a desire and a heart to share the Gospel with unbelievers. Does this characterize you? Why or why not? Why do you think many if not most believers limit Matthew 28:19-20 to just paid staff?
5. To seek His kingdom means we also seek His second return. Please read above Bruce B. Barton’s bullets on how you can seek His kingdom and His righteousness. Which of these are you currently doing and which of these do you need to be doing?

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 34:9-10, “O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. (10)  The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, please convict and empower me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, especially when it comes to the lost or unbelievers. I understand that if I do not seek Your rule and reign in my life, then I am not seeking Your kingdom and Your righteousness. I do not want my life or efforts to become simply a checklist of doing things for You, but a lifestyle of gratitude towards You. I love You Jesus. In Your name, Amen!”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly