Lenten Devotional - Monday, Mar. 22

Day 29 - Monday

March 22

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.  Matthew 6:31-33

Having enough to eat and to drink and having clothing to wear are important things; we should never believe that God doesn't want us to have what we need. But God does not want our lives to be characterized by worrying or striving for these things. To strive means to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something, to struggle or fight vigorously. The Gentiles are the people who do not know God, and their lives are filled with worry and striving because they have no trust in God's care for them; their efforts are all that they have. When God's people allow worry and striving for our needs to fill our lives, we are acting like people who do not know or trust God. If we are going to strive for anything, let it be for God's kingdom; we can give our best efforts to serve the Lord because we have confidence that he will supply all of our needs. 

To Do

Think of one need that you find yourself worrying about today. Write it down on a slip of paper. Hold the paper in your open hand as you pray and release this need to God. When you are done, put the paper somewhere that you will find it later, maybe in the back of your Bible.