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MarBy: David Echols
Comments: 0
Like much of the world, Namibia is in lock down. Apart from essential workers, no one is permitted to leave their homes except for groceries and medical needs. On Sunday we held one of our Thrive Bible studies over WhatsApp and had a surprisingly good time “together.” We read from Matthew 6 and were all challenged by Jesus’ words during this strange time.
Read Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
We are facing a time when our health, jobs, finances, food supply and many other basics of life are being threatened. In these verses Jesus tells us that our hearts are with the things that we treasure. Further, we are assured that if our treasures are in the things of God, nothing can threaten them; no moths, rust, virus or economic struggles can touch them. As we discussed this, we saw how this pandemic has revealed the things we truly treasure and has drawn our attention to the things that really matter.
Read Matthew 6:22-24
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Here we find that what we focus on tells us something about who we serve. If our eyes are healthy, we are full of light! As we read together, we saw the need to focus our attention on Christ and allow His light to fill our lives. While keeping informed with the news is important, the things of this world cannot be our primary focus.
Read Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Finally, in verses 25-34 Jesus reminds us that our Father is faithful to take care of His world and that He is worthy to be trusted. We are given the freedom to leave behind worry and anxiety. We are called to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and trust Him to add the rest.
We share this with you in hopes that you might be encouraged by this scripture as we were this week. As our lives are interrupted may we treasure the things of God, focus on the light of Christ and trust the God of creation to care for us all.
