33: We must keep Almighty God, and His desires for this world, at the forefront of our minds. This is literally what Jesus means in this passage. The will of the Father, and the holiness that He would place within us, are to come before food, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs. Jesus is here teaching that a fundamental belief in the rights of Almighty God as the King of the universe comes before our belief in our own right to exist. Indeed, our existence has no legitimacy if we are not, before all else, aligned with the plans and desires of our great Sovereign. Some may speak as if we may not resist His will. Whether we may or not is not the point, we should not dare to try. Many are proud of their insolence and spurning of His authority, but they live teetering on the edge of eternity, not considering the value of their own lives.
Those who will refuse to recognize and pursue the will of the Lord in their life are doomed to spend their existence seeking the necessities of life. But, for those who will see and love the true state of things, the Almighty has already provided a storehouse of goodness for their earthly adventure. He will put his blessings right next to His children (which is the meaning of the word ‘add’ in this verse). Just as the fruits of the garden in the very beginning, we have nothing more to do than to reach out and partake of His bounty.

Daily Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-6:12

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and are perished in the gainsaying of Core.“

Daily Tidbit: The Greek term for ‘seek’ (ζητέω) in Matthew 6:33 is the same word Jesus uses in Luke 19:10. It refers to a patient and hopeful expectation for that which is sought. Thus, the same measure of dedication that Almighty God has for pursuing us should be found in our pursuit of Him. Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit work together to secure the complete measure of the plan of salvation. We must seek to recognize the authority of the Godhead in all that we do. The word ‘first’ does not simply mean before all else, but above all else. Seeking His kingdom and righteousness is to be the only quest of our lives, regardless of how God leads us in it. The other pursuits of our lives are to be just attendant circumstances, helpful to the overall goal of the glory of Almighty God.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, may the joy of Your person overflow me! Oh Father, give us great delight in You! To desire knowledge of the Holy One is a good use of our existence. Knowing You, and making You known, is such a noble cause. It gives credence to our needs, and legitimacy to our very existence. The man who would live without You must prove his worth without You. He must make sense of everything with only himself as the measure of it all. He cannot touch the infinite, and is bound in this time and place. He will ultimately find his greatest pleasure in his own destruction. He will deface his own soul in an attempt to rid himself of the stamp of Your image. May we never descend to that place, but embrace the fullness found in You. Our lives may be keepsakes on the shelves of Your treasuries. Even our physical death is precious to You, and by Your power is not destruction, but a transformation. As all of Creation we long to be glorified, remade to suit the splendor of a universe clothed in reflective majesty. I long for the day when You shall be not only the light of my soul, but also the light by which I will see with my natural eyes. I hope expectantly for a world not filled with disembodied spirits, but glorified bodies. Oh Father, may we live like we know the reality of these solid dreams! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a family that recently lost a young child to death. Pray for a youth group that is travelling. Pray for a lady who has trouble breathing.

Personal Journal Entry #12205

31: As long as we are alive, these things will seem to press in around us. The daily needs that we have weigh heavily on our minds. However, Jesus would have us to avoid constant anxiety. There is more to life than that. So, he is not saying you should not plan your next meal, but that it must not be the only pursuit of your existence. There is more to life than survival.
32: The comment here concerning the Gentiles does not leave Gentiles out of the application for this verse. Jesus was using ‘Gentiles’ in the broadest sense of the term, to mean the heathen nations. Pagan persons will proceed through life surviving in their own way, ignoring the Creator of it all. Though they may worship idols of their own making, all is based on a survival-instinct. Thus, those who have Almighty God for their Father may spend life in a different way. The Father, of course, will not allow his children to suffer unnecessarily.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 31:1-Ecclesiastes 2:26

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and are perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

Daily Tidbit: The Spanish word used to translate the Greek for ‘take thought’ in Matthew 6:25-34 can be found in the Spanish Reina Valera version. The word means anguish, or extreme distress. This is interesting in that it reminds us of the anguish that Jesus went through on the cross. There is, therefore, no reason to be distressed any more, because Christ was distressed for all of us.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for working in our lives to make us into something more valuable than we could have imagined. Help us to see and understand the inestimable worth of a life lived for You. Many value their independence from You, thinking that they do not need You. Of course, we are reminded on every hand of our needs and dependence upon the supplies that You have placed about us. Like children, whose world is much smaller than reality, we think that we know everything there is. Oh Father, may we live our lives open to the depth of wisdom that You hold out to us! Make Your presence known to us as we go through our lives each day. We want to live to the full measure that we can. Help us to see our worth to You, and our hope in You. Thank You for that sure and blessed hope. It is what brings me to You. You are the Producer of hope, the very fountainhead of it. Let it flow into our hearts and lives, dear Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal: Pray for two older men with health issues. Pray for a man with a bad virus. Pray for a man with mental health issues. Pray for a woman who thinks she may have a staff infection.

Personal Journal Entry #12204

28: We seldom take the time to consider something as simple and common as the lilies that grow in the wild. And yet, one of the first things Almighty God did in this world was to plant a garden. Thus, our anxiety over such a thing as clothing seems quite silly when we consider how god cares for the beautiful adornment of the ground itself. Though some would say this verse does not mean lilies, but some other flower, it seems the best to take it at face value.
29: Though lilies bestow no labor upon their adornment, the most glorious materials for clothing a human being will never compare with their beauty.
30: Although we would not normally expect to put lilies in the oven, electric oven had not yet been invented. Often, an oven then consisted of a hole in the ground with a bed of rocks in the bottom of it. Grass and such from the field could be expected to end up in the bottom of the hole for the purpose of burning to heat up the stones for baking.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 28:1-30:33

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and are perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

Daily Tidbit: The Greek word in Matthew 6:28 that means ‘lilies’ (κρίνον in Greek) was generally used to refer to colored lilies. Thus, it is probably not referring to all-white lilies.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and goodness. Your mercy to us is truly amazing! Thank You for supplying every need. The flowers of the field sing Your praise every day as You decorate them with Your blessings. May we do the same! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for those in the Northeast still recovering from Sandy. Pray for a man who just recently got a new apartment. Pray for a man who just recently lost his father.

Personal Journal Entry #12203

27: Although it has been speculated that this verse could be better understood with ‘stature’ translated differently, the presence of the word ‘cubit’ seems to work against that. Thus, it is best to leave the text as it is. However, that said, Jesus may have been referring to more than height in this illustration. Most people don’t go around trying to make themselves taller. But, we are always trying to add to our lifespan, overall health, well-being, etc. This is likely what Jesus is getting at. We cannot add to these things by being anxious about them. If anything, anxiety might serve as a detriment to any or all of them!

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 25:1-27:27

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

Daily Tidbit: Proverbs 26:27 is a perfect example of what happens when a verse is taken out of context. If taken alone, this verse seems to teach one to avoid moving stones or digging ditches. However, in context it is obvious that it is teaching that those who create traps for others will fall into them themselves.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, Your wisdom and ways are far above us! Thank You for Your abundant blessings from a boundless store! The love that I feel You have for us is so precious! I can sense You care and concern in every area of my life. You are tender and compassionate to us imperfect creatures. Above all, I thank You that You have, in Your great wisdom and grace, made a way for us to be righteous through Your Son, the Lord Jesus. That is the best blessing of them all. How could we ever thank You enough? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man with a cold. Pray for a lady having repeat hip surgery. Pray for a family that just recently lost a loved one. Pray for the upcoming election. Pray for people to be safe today.

Personal Journal Entry #12202

26: This is not to say that the agrarian lifestyle is evil. It is not wrong to sow and reap, and gather into barns. However, the birds of the air are fed by God Almighty as they stay busy about their daily tasks. In other words, they do not trust in a storehouse of provisions, but in the storehouse of God’s provision. It is not wrong, then, for us to gather in harvest so that we may have food in the winter. The ant, who is given to us as an example in Proverbs, does store up food. Instead Jesus is telling us that we are worth more than the birds. So, if God takes care of the birds, he will take care of us too. Like the birds, we must stay busy taking advantage of his daily provisions. If the crops fail, the barn burns, and our money is stolen, we are in no less a straight than that bird any day of the week.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 22:1-24:34

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:10 “But these speak evil of things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.“

Daily Tidbit: Proverbs 22:14 offers some sound advice for men. It is here shown that men will be far more likely to fall prey to sexual lust-related sin if they already have ongoing sin in their lives. The verse states that those who are already an object of God’s wrath will fall prey to this kind of sin very easily. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, adds a couple of lines which likely were not in the Hebrew. It says: “Evil ways are before a man, and he does not like to turn away from them; but it is needful to turn aside from a perverse and bad way.” Sound advice!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, keep us from evil. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be always focused upon You. You are worthy of our loyalty, worship, and service. Thank You for making Your ministry such a joy! You are wonderful! Thank you for family and friends. Thank You for the encouragement that they bring to our lives. You are the Source of all the best things in our lives. You are worthy to be praised! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a lady’s unspoken request. Pray for a man who has just been diagnosed with melanoma. Pray for a lady having trouble with gout. Pray for a lady having trouble breathing.

Personal Journal Entry #12201

25: Jesus tells us here not to worry about food or clothing. He points out he futility of this by asking whether life, and a body, are more important than these things. Obviously they are, but we often fail to worry so much about that which we think we can do less about. In other words, Jesus is saying that we should trust Almighty God to provide food and clothing, since we must already trust him to provide life and a body.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 19:1-21:23

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

Daily Tidbit: Jude 1:10 offers a great illustration of the final form of those who shun the wisdom of Almighty God. Those who were like ‘brute beasts’ in this passage were operating on the only principles they had left after stripping God away from themselves. The word brute can mean ‘absurd’, and this is surely a good description of our world today. We seem to live in a generation of absurdity.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for making our lives so much more than that of absurd beasts. Father we know that even the animals themselves know that You are God. May we never debase ourselves lower than the little creatures of Your earth. Give us Your wisdom that we may be reasonable creations of an Almighty Creator. Make us to be more than we ever thought we could be. Thank You for Your love. May Your love flow into our lives freely. Give us a longing for it. Oh Father, You are so wonderful! Knowing You makes our lives so meaningful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a 2-year-old with cancer. Pray for a man who may be sick as the result of a tick bite. Pray for two people with viruses and one with the flu.

Personal Journal Entry #12200

24: Jesus helps us understand that God is not looking for partial service. To serve a master means to give your all to that master. You cannot ‘halfway’ serve. Thus, to fail to serve Almighty God with all of one’s heart is to serve something else. There can be no mixture of loyalties, God wants all there is of us. The words Jesus uses here show us the level of loyalty needed. The love he refers to is what we call agape love, or unconditional love. To ‘hold’ to a master means to cleave to that master. These are strong words. Almighty God isn’t looking for fair weather friends. Those who think they can serve God and yet ‘hold to’ something else, are sadly mistaken.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 16:1-18:24

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

Daily Tidbit: The word ‘mammon’ in Matthew 6:24 is not an archaic English word. It is what we call a transliteration. A transliteration is an English form given to, in this case, a Greek word. The Greek here reads ‘μαμμωνα’ which sounds much the same as ‘mammon’. Generally translators will not do this unless they have a good reason to do so. Many versions today simply translate this word as ‘money’ and move on. However, the KJV translators likely chose not to do so because mammon and money are not exactly the same thing. Mammon was originally an Aramaic word that has been adopted by many languages. It signifies wealth personified. In other words, it literally describes wealth as a god, and names this god ‘Mammon’. For the Hebrews, one given over to Mammon would be a lover of wealth that would not do aught else but be greedy and self-seeking. Thus, the transliteration here is a tip-off that there is more to this word than initially meets the eye.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word! It is specific, and does not avoid pointing out my sin. I am glad because I would rather know about anything that would keep me from You. Help us to respond correctly to Your Word at all times. May it be the very fabric of our lives, the stuff we are made from. Oh Father, You are worthy of praise, honor, and glory! Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and always shall be, let me know You! May Your person be my constant pursuit. I will seek to know You for all of my life. You are worth chasing after, finding, searching out, and discovering! I could never find a better use of my life than to seek to know You better. You are the key to understanding Your universe. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for three men with various stages of cancer. Pray for a man with bad diabetes. Pray for an older couple with health needs. Pray for the upcoming election.

Personal Journal Entry #12199

23: This is quite an amazing verse. Jesus said in the previous verse that the eye was the ‘light’ of the body. In other words, the eye is the only way for light to enter the body. Though we have other ‘entrances’, like our ears, nose, and mouth, our eyes alone admit light. Thus, if the only source of light in your body is darkened, you walk about in complete blindness. This has a spiritual application. If your eye is not ‘single’ or honest, but is evil, it is diseased, and is unable to admit light into your soul. Those with evil eyes are not capable of taking in the brightness of God’s goodness all around them.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:1-15:33

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

Daily Tidbit: In ancient times people believed one’s eye emitted light, enabling one to see. Light is, of course, admitted through the eye. (From C. S. Keener’s book, The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament, published in 1993 by InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Ill.)

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, so often we get all wrapped up with what comes to our senses and forget You. We think only about what we can see and feel and touch. We forget that You have access to things that we can’t even understand, let alone experience. You are so much more than the most wonderful experience I could ever have. You transcend experience and You are the Source of all experiences. Oh Father, to know You and serve You is such a privileged! The gospel is such an honor to know and share! Help us to glorify You as we should. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for the pastors in our area. Pray for a man with daily chest pain.

Personal Journal Entry #12198

22: This verse has a great passage to go with it from the Old Testament. Jesus is staying on the same topic of treasure and beginning to describe those who serve God Almighty, and those who serve money. The passage that is so helpful here is Deuteronomy 15:9. In this verse, the Jews are instructed not to fail to lend to a fellow Jew just before the year of release. Many were tempted to do so because the year of release meant a forgiving of debt. Thus, they knew there would be less value in the deal, and would try to avoid it. The Lord instructs them not to have an ‘evil eye’ against those who would borrow from them. Thus the ‘single’ eye Jesus describes here is one full of the love of Almighty God. Those with a ‘single’ eye would see their lending as a blessing to others from God, instead of thinking of their own profit.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 10:1-12:28

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

Daily Tidbit: The use of the word ‘single’ in Matthew 6:22 may confuse some. Because of the time of translation for the King James Version, many old English words are found in the text.
Some would argue that this causes too much confusion , and should be avoided altogether. However, we do not stop teaching Shakespeare in high school, and his plays come from around the same time. Studying these older pieces of literature remind us of our language’s heritage. Beyond that, the need to discuss the definition of a word reminds lay persons that there is a translation process behind any version of the scriptures. It helps people learn to trust Almighty God to preserve His Word, as opposed to thinking that we can do so through a ‘perfect’ translation. Using the KJV can help people remember that the meaning of words change, and that they have to put forth some effort (“study to shew thyself approved” 2 Timothy 2:15) to find out what God’s Word says. Trying to make God’s Word easy to understand is okay, but if you water it down too much you will ultimately find that you always have to explain it.
The word ‘single’ here, in Middle English, could mean ‘honest’ or ‘sincere’. These words make sense in Matthew 6:22.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, it is amazing how few people praise You. We owe all we have to You, and yet, we fail to glorify Your name for all of it. I know that the enemy hates You praise. But, I will praise You because You alone can create something good. All that we can on our own is destroy. We need You to make us truly artistic. Give us the beauty of Your holiness in our lives and creations. Let us not spend all of our days creating destruction. Oh Father, make me Your child not only in my heart, but in my actions. Help me to allow Your Spirit to fill me to overflowing with Your joy, peace, and hope. Give me Your love, that I may win others to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for Christians to lead authentic lives.

Personal Journal Entry #12197

20: Heavenly treasure is pursued much differently than that of earthly treasure. Indeed, heavenly treasure causes an intense adventure of unwavering desire for the things of Almighty God. Thus, it produces the same fervor as greed and hoarding, and yet none of the attendant woes. One may pile up treasure of the finest nature in heaven without ever having to experience the pain of fear. there is nothing to worry or be anxious over with heavenly treasure. There can be no feeling of shame or dissatisfaction in connection with great heavenly riches. It is true that we will always want more heavenly riches, just as earthly riches. However, the difference is that heavenly riches do not cause one to pursue them from a feeling of having too little, but from a feeling of needing nothing else. If one has life left to pursue them, they are infinitely worth pursuing.
21: Here we come to the heart of the matter. Jesus shows the bottom line. Heavenly treasure is a mountain of positive motivation. Earthly treasure motivates only to avarice. The pursuit of material things can destroy one’s love for the better things of life. The greedy man wants a new car. The spiritual man wants a greater love for the poor. What a difference it makes!

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 7:1-9:18

Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:9 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.“

Daily Tidbit: In Proverbs chapter eight verse thirteen two very similar words are used. The verse uses the word ‘pride’ and the word ‘arrogancy’. What is the difference? Is there a difference? There is a difference between the two. Pride is, in this verse, refers to one who is excessively proud, presumptuous, and insolent. This person shuns the laws of God and man and thinks he is above obedience to such authorities. It is the same as ‘hubris’, which is an English word carried over from Greek (in Greek, ὕβρις). Arrogancy, on the other hand, refers to one who, bragging of his own state in life, despises others. This person is overbearingly proud and haughty, and would usurp the position of others thinking themselves alone capable of handling a situation. Therefore, pride refers more to insolence in relation to God. Arrogancy means lording it over others. The Lord hates both kinds.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us reasons to live! So many people seem to have no good reason for existence outside of existence. We know that has to be something more to life than that. You have given us a sense of the eternal. We know that there is a greater purpose and meaning out there. I am so glad that You allow us to know the Truth. Letting us choose the Truth and love You is so nice. We don’t deserve these pleasures, but we are thankful for them. I can never thank You enough for salvation! The gospel of Christ is such a blessing! Knowing that You have made a way for me to be in heaven with You, Father, makes me feel so loved. I must be important to You. I only hope that I can live a life that is pleasing to You. Humility before Almighty God makes me feel so much better than pride about myself. you don’t keep me, Father, from worthy attainments, but you drive me on to them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who is a roofer that has cancer. Pray for an older couple with health issues. Pray for a woman having gall bladder surgery this week. Pray for a young girl having problems with her gall bladder.

Personal Journal Entry #12196