Jun 22: Matthew 6:24-34
Key Verse: Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Devotion:
When Jesus was getting the disciples ready to go out and share the gospel, He warned them against doing things in a worldly manner. The Scribes and Pharisees had taken the religion to extremes by making it worldly and focused around the things of man instead of the things of God; Jesus wanted the disciples to be different, just as He was showing people a new way.
What Jesus was teaching, though, was not really a new way but the way God had planned things in the beginning. God wanted us to be in communion with Him and with each other. God wanted us to be close and to love each other like He had planned, not to love the world and all things of this world.
Jesus’ instructions here are to not worry about taking anything with because, if we are working for God and doing things according to God’s plan, then the plan is already in effect and we should have our needs covered already. This can be very challenging for anyone who has doubts about their faith because those doubts are focused around worldly needs and goals.
Yes, we need worldly things to survive because we live in this world. But by following God’s plan, our needs have been covered. This faith in God will speak volumes to the people around us as they struggle with the world. Our struggle should be against sin and the evil one, not against God and His ways. The world is just where we live!
Points to Ponder:
Do you struggle with everyday things?
How often do you give God control?