“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.”
Matthew 6:24 MSG
Matthew 6:24 MSG
It’s not wrong to have money but it is wrong for money to have you! You can have God and money, but you cannot serve both. Seeking and serving God will bring true happiness, and God’s supply flows as we prioritize Him and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
Matthew 6:25 NKJV
Matthew 6:25 NKJV
A lot of people allow their joy to give way to worrying about provision. Jesus tells us that we don’t need to worry or be anxious about material needs. He’s not saying that you should ignore the fact that you have needs. Even Jesus considered His earthly needs: He was hungry and He paid taxes (Mark 11:12; Matthew 17:24-27). Jesus is saying that you don’t have to worry about where the provision for your needs will come from. When confronted with having to pay the temple tax, Jesus told His disciples to go fishing. He said that the first fish they caught would have money in its mouth. And that’s what happened. He wasn’t worried about where the provision would come from. Neither should we be.
If God can provide supernaturally through something natural (fishing), then we shouldn’t limit Him by thinking He can only provide for us through a job and a salary. He isn’t limited by the things we are limited by. I’m sure many of people reading this might consider taking up fishing – but that’s not the point of the message. The point is that God isn’t limited in how He provides for you, and supernatural provision may come in the most natural way possible. The key is not to worry but to trust Him and seek Him first (Matthew 6:33).
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:26 NKJV
Matthew 6:26 NKJV
God is the Creator of the birds and He looks after them. Their provision isn’t based on sowing or reaping; it’s not based on gathering into barns (savings or investments), and yet God provides for them. He’s their Creator – but He is your Father.
“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:32-33 NKJV
Matthew 6:32-33 NKJV
You’re much more valuable than all the birds on the face of the earth. Your loving heavenly Father provides for you based on the fact that you’re His child and He wants to look after you. The provision flows as we trust Him and seek Him first.