Bible References

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 13:22 KJV

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luke 21:34 KJV

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luke 12:22‭-‬40 KJV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16 KJV

Devotional

Trust and Obey

What concerns you?

Material possessions, position or prominence, academic prowess, or wealth for the sake of wealth? Perhaps for you popularity is more important than position. Or what about control? We worry and we fret and we smother out righteousness.

Where are you most inclined to be vulnerable to worry?

What are those things of the world that you know you should not worry about but yet somehow do?

The Word of God is our greatest help and best teacher. When we’re not going through a trial, we may not hear the words of the Lord as clearly. But when we are in the midst of great trial and testing, it can hurt to even read the Word of God. Read Luke 12:22-31, which is very similar to the passage in Matthew. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you hear His voice regardless of your circumstances.

As we read on in Luke 12:32-40, we see that Jesus addresses earthly treasure versus heavenly treasure. But in this passage He also teaches His followers and us to not worry or be afraid – that if our treasure is truly found in Him, and we are waiting on the alert for Him, then there is nothing to worry about.

When our eyes are on the world around us, our focus tends to be too much on the temporal. Our vision is off, and we don’t think as a child of the kingdom. The passage above gives us clear direction on where our focus needs to be. Instead of worrying we need to be waiting upon the Lord and looking forward to His return – and be ready!

Our eyes will be fixed upon Him and upon the eternal. Our worries will wash away. We will live a life of worship as we wait upon His coming! We will be in the world but not of it! What do you think Jesus means in the following verses from Luke 12? Verse 35 Verse 36 Verse 37 As you close your study today, give thanks to God in prayer. Thankfulness is worship. Whenever you find yourself caught in worry, stop for a moment and pick up a pen and a piece of paper and write a list of thanks to God.

My Own Thoughts

As we watch the world around us crumble it is easy to lose heart and to forget who is in control. The Father knows what is happening and He told us that these things would come to pass. 365 times He tells us not to be afraid.