Saturday 25 Feb 2017

February 25: Matthew 6:25-34

Key Verse: Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Devotion:
Each of the previous days has warned us about seeking after the things which are in excess, of the earth or of the desires we should not harbour. What we should not forget is that the everyday things we face will very often lead us away from Christ just as much as the excesses will. The simple thoughts about what we have in the cupboard to eat, or what clothes we have in our rooms to wear or what to watch next on TV will often lure us away from thinking about God. Jesus reminds us He is in control of so many things that we see as amazing and beautiful such as the birds who don't have to grow their own food, the flowers who do not have to dress us for the occasion.

None of us has the power to simply will ourselves to grown that extra few inches in height; that is fixed by God. Why should we then take so much time in thinking about what we are going to wear if we don't give thought to thinking about how tall we are going to grow today. We need to make sure we do not take our everyday thoughts too far and that we do not lose track of just who is in control of our lives. We need not be anxious of the future because we cannot see into the future; but God is able to see past, present and future and is able to guide us in the path which is best for us – as long as we listen to His guidance.

We need to make sure our first thoughts are towards God, to think about what He has done in our lives, what He continues to do in our lives and about what He will do in our lives. When we focus on the important things in life, then all other things will seem insignificant! As long as we are focusing on His will in our lives, He will be able to guide us – but when we allow ourselves to get caught up in everyday life situations, we lose track of His will and miss those moments when He is speaking to us.

We need to reconcile ourselves with what we have rather than the things that we desire just as we do about how tall we are – accept it... Leave room in our minds for thinking about the important things in life - God!

Points to Ponder:
How much do you allow yourself to be caught up in petty thoughts?

How much more time could you give to God?