Articles
Matthew 6:33-34
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV).
The life God gives us to live is so much more than food, drink and clothing—material things! Yet, how often do our daily conversations and efforts indicate a focus on the material and earthly man? The entire context of Matthew 6:19-34 is a warning from Jesus not to “worry” about the “treasures on earth,” the “mammon” and what we shall “eat” and “drink” and “wear” (Matthew 6:19, 24, 31). Instead, our focus ought to be on our “treasures in heaven” and serving “God” who cares about “the lilies of the field” and “the birds of the air” and most certainly cares about His special creation, man (6:20, 24, 26-29)! With this in mind, verses 33 and 34 are the final words of encouragement to this mini-sermon within the Sermon on the Mount. So, what would Jesus have us to do rather than worry about inferior things?
“Seek”—our divine duty. The pages of the Bible are filled with examples of people who were seeking to learn and do God’s will. It is “impossible to please” God without faith. True faith believes God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Spiritually-minded people ask spiritual questions and demand spiritual answers and keep asking, seeking and knocking (Matt 7:7).
“First”—our divine priority. When treasures in heaven come first, they take precedence over earthly treasures. Do the thoughts of your mind circulate around the earthly or do you spend time thinking about the heavenly, the spiritual, the divine? Do your civic responsibilities take priority over your spiritual opportunities on a regular basis? God wants to be first in your life, not just part of the leftovers.
“The kingdom of God”—our divine objective. This “kingdom of God” consists of God ruling our hearts and minds (cp. Luke 17:20-21). It is the rule of God we should “seek first” in our lives. No human should take priority over God—God’s mission for us takes priority or we have it backwards.
“And all these things shall be added to you”—our divine promise. We need not worry about the basics of life because God has promised to take care of those necessities if we will just trust and serve Him. As David mentioned, “...I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). God will take care of His people who are about God’s work.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow”—our divine charge. God gives us enough to handle today. He will get us through tomorrow too. So, limit your daily focus on today’s hurdles.
