Matthew 6:19-34 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. 22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious 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 the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth 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 Be not therefore anxious, 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 his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have God’s invitation to ask Him for whatever we need. What an amazing privilege! He’s not a stingy heavenly Father, but one who loves us and cares about every aspect of our life.

Sometimes, however, if the answers we expect aren’t materializing, we may question God’s love, interest, or ability. In today’s passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reassures us that we can pray for our needs with full confidence in our Father’s provision. We are to … 

Trust in His Care. Whenever we start to wonder whether our Father hears our requests, we can look outside at His creation (Matt. 6:26-32). If God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, won’t He also care for His beloved children? 

Believe His Promise. Jesus assures us that God will provide our basic needs if we’ll make Him our top priority in life (Matt. 6:32-33).

Seek His Kingdom and Righteousness. Jesus warns against making earthly things our treasure and admonishes us to store up heavenly riches instead (Matt. 6:19-21). That’s what it means to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. When the desire and ambition of our life is to obey the Lord and reflect His character in our words, attitudes, and actions, He assumes the responsibility to provide whatever we may need.  

God’s ways are different from how we naturally think. Human logic leads us to conclude that if we need something, we should seek it, but God’s perspective says, “Seek Me, and I’ll take care of your need.” Whose way are you trusting?

Bible in One Year: Psalms 8-14 Chapter 8 1 O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens! 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. 6 Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 9 For the Chief Musician; set to Muthlabben. A Psalm of David. Chapter 9 1 I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and exult in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High. 3 When mine enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at thy presence. 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou sittest in the throne judging righteously. 5 Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever. 6 The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished. 7 But Jehovah sitteth `as king' for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment; 8 And he will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples in uprightness. 9 Jehovah also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble; 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; For thou, Jehovah, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 11 Sing praises to Jehovah, who dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the people his doings. 12 For he that maketh inquisition for blood remembereth them; He forgetteth not the cry of the poor. 13 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; Behold my affliction `which I suffer' of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death; 14 That I may show forth all thy praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in thy salvation. 15 The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 Jehovah hath made himself known, he hath executed judgment: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah 17 The wicked shall be turned back unto Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever. 19 Arise, O Jehovah; let not man prevail: Let the nations be judged in thy sight. 20 Put them in fear, O Jehovah: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. Selah Chapter 10 1 Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? 2 In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived. 3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, And the covetous renounceth, `yea', contemneth Jehovah. 4 The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, `saith', He will not require `it'. All his thoughts are, There is no God. 5 His ways are firm at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them. 6 He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; To all generations I shall not be in adversity. 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. 8 He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; In the secret places doth he murder the innocent; His eyes are privily set against the helpless. 9 He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net. 10 He croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless fall by his strong ones. 11 He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten; He hideth his face; he will never see it. 12 Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: Forget not the poor. 13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require `it'? 14 Thou hast seen `it'; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: The helpless committeth `himself' unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none. 16 Jehovah is King for ever and ever: The nations are perished out of his land. 17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more. Psalm 11 For the Chief Musician. `A Psalm' of David. Chapter 11 1 In Jehovah do I take refuge: How say ye to my soul, Flee `as' a bird to your mountain; 2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart; 3 If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do? 4 Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For Jehovah is righteous; he loveth righteousness: The upright shall behold his face. Psalm 12 For the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Chapter 12 1 Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men. 2 They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak. 3 Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh great things; 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; Our lips are our own: who is lord over us? 5 Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; I will set him in the safety he panteth for. 6 The words of Jehovah are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times. 7 Thou wilt keep them, O Jehovah, Thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever. 8 The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. Psalm 13 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Chapter 13 1 How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider `and' answer me, O Jehovah my God: Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the `sleep of' death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; `Lest' mine adversaries rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in thy lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto Jehovah, Because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 14 For the Chief Musician. `A Psalm' of David. Chapter 14 1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; There is none that doeth good. 2 Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God. 3 They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people `as' they eat bread, And call not upon Jehovah? 5 There were they in great fear; For God is in the generation of the righteous. 6 Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge. 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When Jehovah bringeth back the captivity of his people, Then shall Jacob rejoice, `and' Israel shall be glad. Psalm 15 A Psalm of David.