a 365 day trip through Matthew with a key thought, prayer, focus verse and contextual verses for each day
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We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. God knew them before he made the world, and he decided that they would be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers. God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified. (NCV)
Romans 8:28-30
Some of you say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.” But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. So you should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” (NCV)
James 4:13-15
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:20-21 |
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March 19
This First! - Matthew 6:31-33
"Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you."
Full Text
Key Thought
What's most important to you? Why is it important?
Jesus emphasizes all throughout his ministry that three things are of supreme importance: loving God with all our heart, loving our neighbor, and seeking after God's Kingdom. If we do those things, everything else will fall into place; the hand of the Creator will be there helping each thing find its proper place. He knows what we need. He has a plan for our life. He will meet our needs.
Does this mean things will be easy or always go well for us? No. If our hero was crucified on a cross, do you think we're less vulnerable? But God does assure his Kingdom seekers that we will ultimately get what we seek; we will share with the King in his Kingdom in all of his glory. In addition, in seeking after Kingdom values, we will bless those we love, we will have a redemptive influence on those around us, and we will have all that we really need in life.
Today's Prayer
O gracious Father, help me keep my eyes focused on your Kingdom, my heart centered on you, my mind illuminated by your Word, and my spirit empowered and cleansed by your Spirit. Father, please forgive me when I am distracted by things that don't really matter. Use your Word, your Spirit, and your people to help call me back to a proper set of priorities. Please bless me as I make your Kingdom and your righteousness my consuming passion. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses with Jesus
(key verses in bold)
19 “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on
earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can
break in and steal them. 20 But store your treasures in heaven
where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where
thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will be
where your treasure is.
22 “The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are
good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes
are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the
only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst
darkness.
24 “No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one
master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse
to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly
riches.
25 “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or
drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your
body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.
26 Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or
harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds
them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.
27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the
lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes
for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his
riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.
30 God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but
tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure
that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith!
Top of Page
31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What
will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What
will we wear?’ 32 The people who don’t know God keep
trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you
need them. 33 The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom
and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need
will be given to you.
34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will
have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(NCV) The New Century Version, (Dallas, Texas:
Word Publishing) 1987, 1988, 1991.
Used by permission.
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