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Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:32

Jesus here encourages His group of disciples. This small group was to become the core of the church.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your church! It is the source of so many blessings to our hearts in this age. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

Luke 12:31

Our pursuit should be the furtherance of the will of God. We must put obedience to Him first before all else.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for leading our lives to the best end. We can be confident that You will provide our needs. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luke 12:30

Jesus is here addressing a predominantly, or completely, Jewish crowd. But we need not assume that He would say something different to a purely Gentile audience. The worldly pursuits are commonly shared among all people of the world.

The Father already has complete knowledge of all our needs. Prayer, for example is not meant to inform God of our needs. We only ask Him for things because He tells us to, not because He is unaware.

Heavenly Father, oh if only I understood my needs as well as You do! Thank You for always providing what I need rather than what I think I want. You are so wise! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious.

Luke 12:29

Material sustenance is a means to an end, not the purpose of life. And anxious worry will only hurt and never help us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your truth! You teach us the best way to live. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith?

Luke 12:28

Faith subsists of confidence that the will of the Lord God Almighty is in your best interest. This is what Jesus is affirming here. God cares for the brief life of the flowers of the field. So He will care for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your care, concern, and compassion. You are holy, just, faithful, and beneficent. I will praise You forever for Your wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.

Luke 12:27

God has given a special glory to each of His creations. The flowers seem to be inconsequential. And yet they are among the most beautiful things on this planet.

There are many things the Lord can give us that we can never get by labor. There are needs in our lives that we can never meet without His intervention. And, these are the most important things too. For example, joy, peace, patience, and real love.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the special things You put into our lives. We would never know what we were missing, and that would be so sad! You alone may make us whole. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

Luke 12:26

For many of us, adding a year to our life, or even an inch to our height, is not a ‘little’ thing. But, considering the fact that we cannot do it, how can we judge the relative difficulty of such an accomplishment?

Thus, Jesus is speaking mainly of the ability to do these things. If a person is unable to do these things, what would make us think we could change so many other things in our lives by way of worry? The rest, indeed all, is in His hands, not ours.

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You! You are the joy of our hearts. Thank You for delivering us from worry. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?

Luke 12:25

We may have a growth that is worrisome. Maybe it is a hair in the wrong place, or a mole that mars our features. But, we cannot change it through worry any more than we can grow physically taller by that method.

The Lord knows our needs and sees all of our growth. He alone is able to manage these things with any certainty. Oh, the rich may succeed in changing their face or body, but the result is by no means guaranteed.

Worry is worthless. That must be our motto. And, remember, worry is a temptation for all of us, even if we say we never worry.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving to us the hope that we can have in Christ. We do not have to live lives full of worry and anxiety. We can instead live in confident faith that You have everything under control. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?

Luke 12:24

God cares for the creatures He has created. Though impacted by sin, the earth still is under God’s watch care. We are even more valuable than the birds who find their food in abundance.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision! Your blessings are the joy of our hearts. You are so gracious. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

Luke 12:23

This is a life-altering concept. And, we find it throughout Scripture. We are designed for something more than just survival.

The need for survival is a mercy. It reminds us that we are dependent upon the Lord, which is a very good thing. But, we must understand that life is about so much more.

We are designed to be living expressions of the glory of Almighty God. Our bodies are meant to be conduits for His light and power.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making us! We so easily forget that You made us. We are Yours, and we have a great purpose. You have desires for us. We will live to bring glory to You, and yield our bodies as Your instruments. Thank You for designing us the way You have! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.