First Things First

Matthew 6:31-34

²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. ²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

There is a familiar saying that has been used over the years, books have been written and songs have been song about “the moments that take your breath away”. This saying sounds really good until you stop and think about it. I care not to have any moments that are powerful enough to take my breath away. According to Psalm 104:29 (AMP), “when You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust:.

Our awesome God left us through the words of His son several questions to ponder. He also left us with the answer which affirms His desire to take care of us in Matthew 6:31-34 that exudes His glory.This passage of scriptures calls us to trust in God. If there are any moments that could take my breath away it would be the answers that Jesus gives us in this passage (the awesome glory and sufficiency of God).

God takes care of the fowls of the air. Think about how the fowls have no house, no vacation home, no car, no clothes, no job, no money, no bank account, no credit cards or stock and bonds. But they are well taken care. Have you ever seen a fowl cold, hunger, in the unemployment line or looking in the mailbox for an unexpected check? Solomon was the wisest and richest man on earth. He had the favor of God and man on his life.  But in this passage all of his wealth and wisdom does not come close to the radiance of the lilies of the field. The lilies of the fields are so powerful in bloom they draw and command your attention as you drive down the highway. They do not require assistance from man for their survival. They just grow, bloom and give splendor to their surroundings.

Time is our most valuable asset. We have more time in front of us than we have behind us. Eternity awaits us. Therefore, we must understand that it is a waste of time for us to spend our time seeking worldly things rather than seeking righteousness. It is necessary for us to rest in the confidence that God has given to us. The words that would take my breath away would be to stand in front of God and him say to me “O ye of little faith”.

We must embrace the manifestations that Jesus left us of the fowls and the lilies as a perpetual reminder. We must be obedient to his commands. Here again is where every word counts! It is a dual command. We must “seek ye first the kingdom of God” and we must seek “his righteousness. God has set the standards. It would be out of order for you to expect the things first.

Follow the standard and rest today in the promises of God. Let tomorrow be tomorrow as tomorrow is self-sufficient. Today will be the past for tomorrow. Commit today to put first things first and watch the mighty hand of God move in your life.