Devotional--Money, Part VI

***Update--for those of you with Kindles or iPhones or other electronic reading devices, if you would like to have these devotionals available on them, I have managed to make them available on Amazon.  (Click here) They do not include the Scripture verses due to copyright laws, but have 3.5 years worth of reflections with Scripture references.***


Matthew 6:24-34
Serving Two Masters

‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Do Not Worry

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
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  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.  In all of our dealing with money, may we remember that guiding principle.  May we not be anxious about money, and when we get stressed about money, may we remember that life is more than food.  It's often easier said than done, but may we strive to not be anxious about money, about anything, trusting in God in all things.  God will watch out for us.  God will not abandon us.

  Even at times when money is tight and you can't see a way forward, God's love is with you, and God will continue to bless you, even though it may not be financially--God surrounds us with a community, and grants us the gift of life.  May we remember that the relationships we have and the love we give away are more important the money we have.

  I hope this series has been helpful.  If you have questions about money, or would like to talk more about the role of money in our lives, please let me know.  I know how powerful its influence can be, and while I have not completely conquered my love of it (yes, sometimes I believe that money will solve all my problems and that a red Ferrari would look great in the garage of my private beach house.), I continue to pray for God's wisdom in relation to money.

  Blessings