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May 18th Devotion from The Lutheran High School of Kansas City

May 18th Devotion from The Lutheran High School of Kansas City
Posted on 05/18/2020
Matthew 6

The Lutheran High School of Kansas City will be providing devotions for use during your daily Bible time. Today's Devotion is based on Matthew Chapter 6, various verses.

Matthew 6:25a, 33-34: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life … but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I have a confession: I’m a big worrywart.  Questions about the future constantly circulate in my brain.  How will I be able to handle college stress?  Will I be able to pay back student loan debt from graduate school?  Am I ever going to get married?  Thinking – along with a little worrying – about the future is a normal part of my daily life; yet, Jesus instructs us to not be anxious about tomorrow.  What!? Why does Jesus care if I worry about the future?

“God is love” (1 John 4:8b), and He loves us unconditionally.  He wants the best for us, so He sent Jesus to earth to be our teacher.  Perhaps the reason why Jesus told us to stop worrying is because anxiety about the future shifts our focus from God and others to ourselves.  Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… [and] love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37, 39).  Loving God and other people is difficult when we are completely absorbed in our own lives.  However, we are able focus more on others when we stop worrying about the future.  Each day is a special gift from God.  When we stay in the present moment, we can serve His children and focus on loving our neighbors as ourselves today.

Jesus explains that we need to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  If we strive to “be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1-2), all others aspects of our lives will fall into place.  After all, God cares enough for the birds and flowers to provide for their needs. In addition, God provided for Noah in the midst of a flood, the Israelites in the barren wilderness, and Paul while he was in jail. He will most certainly provide for our needs if we have faith in His plan and devote ourselves to “doing what is good, in order that they [we] may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives” (Titus 3:14).  Once we learn to seek God first in our lives instead of worrying about tomorrow, we will be able to focus on serving others today.

Prayer

Lord, Thank You for all of the blessed promises. Give me revelation from heaven where this verse is concerned and help me to apply it to my life. Thank You that as I take action into the limitless treasures in Your Word, I will live the abundant, victorious life that You have planned for me!   Amen.

~Emily Hathhorn~