datethewordtest

Tag: Matthew

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 28 (11/28) is Matthew 11:28

    “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
    and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
    COME TO JESUS for REST for your Soul

    Matthew 11:28 is the first great general invitation extended by Jesus as He says, “Come to Me.” The purpose of the invitation is to provide REST for any and everyone who is under the burden of sin.  The invitation comes personally from Jesus as only He will be able to provide the REST.  He does not say GO AND SEE or GO AND DO.  He says Come to ME! 

    Considering the verse, notice the CONDITIONS of the invited for they are those “who labor and are heavy laden.” This speaks of those laboring for salvation.  The word conveys very hard labor making no progress.  Along with the labor is the weight of sin that continues to pile up. The conditions of those invited are one of helplessness and hopelessness.  Without someone else helping there is no hope.  A sinner cannot get themselves out from under the burden of sin and nor can other sinners help them.  It is these horrible and hopeless conditions that make this invitation from Jesus so wonderful.  He invited the hopeless to find the help they needed!

    Now notice the PROVISION from the inviter; “I WILL GIVE YOU REST!”  REST means one is to be totally free from having to do anything, and totally free from any weight upon one. Coming to Jesus means Jesus handles all of our sin problems. For instance, the entire penalty of sin is removed.  What a relief the sinner finds coming to Jesus!

    Now notice the little word “ALL.” This is the extension of the invitation and it is not just to a select group of people but to ALL.  ALL means ALL and that is ALL that ALL means!  The invitation is to ALL! It is to EVERYONE in the world regardless of color or nationality; regardless of being Jew or Gentile; regardless of social or economic status; rich or poor; educated or uneducated; male or female; young or old!  Everyone is included in the word “ALL.” 

    ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN COME TO JESUS and He will give them REST!

    Come to Him today and receive REST for your soul!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 28 (11/28) is Matthew 11:28, Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, ALL you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

    The invitation to have your sins removed so that you might have rest is extended to ALL and ALL includes YOU!  What a SAVIOR!!

    Continue Strong by coming to Him,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS – today is GIVING TUESDAY – we encourage you to participate by choosing some ministries and generously give as the Lord leads you.  Date the Word is a non-profit ministry and any support you give helps us cover the cost to have Date the Word daily on TruthNetwork.  To donate see the DONATION button below.  All donations are tax deductable.   THANK YOU!!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on October 16 (10/16) is Matthew 10:16

    “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, 
    be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” – Matthew 10:16
    WISDOM FOR DEALING WITH “WOLVES”

    In Matthew 10:16 Jesus imparts wise instructions to His disciples who will be facing tremendous dangers as they serve Him. He gives them a very graphic picture of what ministering in a world that hates them is by telling them they are SHEEP in the midst of WOLVES. One can sense the dangers, cannot one?  Wolves love to devour sheep.

    So with the pending danger, Jesus says THEREFORE since I am sending you into the danger zone one must be WISE in order to not get killed.  To convey being WISE Jesus chooses another very graphic illustration by strangely pointing one to the SERPENT, to a SNAKE. While we may immediately think of a serpent as dangerous, they are actually acutely aware that they themselves are always in danger. Because of the DANGER of losing their lives, they are very ALERT and CAUTIOUS. They anticipate danger. I think Jesus gives us the serpent as an example of being wise when dealing with dangerous people because they USE their heads so they don’t lose their heads.   

    There is a sad truth as we will work and minister with people of the “world’ and “worldly” people that we must recognize that they do not always have our best interests in mind.  Matter of fact they will look to harm you.  You, therefore, must be wise and not get trapped – or worse destroyed. 

    Jesus also teaches here to think of yourself as a DOVE. (Talk about contrast.  A snake and a dove are so totally different.)  As a dove, you are not going to harm. As one is wise to deal with danger one is careful to not harm the one they are dealing with. The persecutor still needs the plan of salvation. The problem maker still needs the Savior! The one hurting still needs help.  We do not want to attack our attackers.  While being threatened with harm, we don’t harm.

    As you serve the Lord and minister to people Jesus teaches us to BE WISE and BE GENTLE.  

    You say this is tough. And it is.
    BTW – Whoever told you ministry was supposed to be easy?
    So get involved in reaching people for Jesus, going out like a serpent with wisdom and a dove with gentleness!

    Verse to DATE the Word on October 16 (10/16) is Matthew 10:16. It says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

    You will be wise to implement Jesus’ instruction as you navigate the danger zone!

    Continue Strong with wisdom and gentleness.
    And remember to DATE The WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 21 (9/21) is Matthew 9:21

    “For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” – Matthew 9:21
    A PATIENT OF FAILED PHYSICIANS BELIEVES JESUS IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

    As Matthew lays out his book about Jesus Christ he will in chapters 8 and 9 show the POWER that Jesus has.  He will tell one story after another so we can learn that there is absolutely nothing He cannot handle.  Whether it is a disease, a demon, or even death, Jesus is more powerful than any of these things.  In these chapters, He healed what was considered unhealable as seen when He healed the leper and the paralytics.  In these chapters, He will calm the raging storm on the sea and in doing so astonish with amazement His own disciples as they just could not believe how powerful He was.  

    As Matthew tells these amazing stories of the POWER of Jesus, he tells how two different people approached Him, both bringing to Him basically impossible situations. First would be a man named Jarius who was a leader in the synagogue.  He comes to Jesus with one of the most stunning requests one could give a person as he “bowed down before Jesus, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”  Talk about asking for the impossible to happen!! 

    To the request, as you probably know, Jesus got up and followed him and Matthew will tell that Jesus would raise this girl from the dead! 

    As Jesus is making His way to Jarius’ home Matthew tells of a second person who will display amazing, and in some ways, alarming faith.  Matthew describes her in verse 20 as being a woman who has suffered for 12 years from a blood issue.  Mark tells us that with the health issue she “had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” (Mark 5:26) Luke tells us she could not be healed by anyone. (Luke 8:43)

    What a sad and painful story.  However, this poor woman somehow hears about Jesus and all the powerful things He has done.   In her desperation, she decides to go where Jesus is and get the help she desperately needs. But unlike Jarius who will go up to Jesus to ask the impossible this woman comes up behind Jesus with the belief that all she needs to do is TOUCH HIS GARMENT.  What faith she had to believe that just a touch of His garment would bring about the healing numerous physicians had not been able to bring about over 12 long years.  

    I feel like I want to stand up and APPLAUD her. What about you? Some might describe her as having superstitious faith but what we read is really simple faith.   It was not superstitious or even superior or supernatural faith but simple, pure, genuine faith.  She had heard of His work with others and believed that He could change her life! So, by faith, she went to Him and touched His garment, and HE CHANGED HER!

    I trust you will pause and ponder the actions of this desperate hurting woman and decide to take your needs to Jesus!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 21 (9/21) is Matthew 9:21. It says, “For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

    Continue Strong trusting Him with Everything!  
    And remember to DATE the WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 28 (7/28) is Matthew 7:28

    “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the
    people were amazed at His teaching.” – Matthew 7:28
    An Amazing Response to an AMAZING MESSAGE

    Matthew, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, writes for us in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 the sermon Jesus preached on the mount just above the Sea of Galilee.  We call it the Sermon on the Mount.  After writing what Jesus taught Matthew now writes how the people responded, writing that they were AMAZED.  In some translations, you will find they were ASTONISHED.  I am more prone to go with the word AMAZED as it conveys the idea of being STRUCK by something brilliant or phenomenal.  A. T. Robertson said the Greek word conveys “they listened spellbound to the end and were left amazed.”     

    What brought about this amazement?  We are told in Matthew 7:29 they were amazed at such teaching because Jesus spoke with authority.  As Jesus taught, He said what He meant, and He meant what He said.  He addressed the religious issues of that day with conviction.  He taught what a real relationship with God looked like.   His teaching challenged conventional thinking and His teaching stirred up inward conflict. For instance, while He taught how to pray He also taught how not to pray.  Several times He challenged the religious thinking of the day by saying, “But I say unto you.”  He definitely taught with authority.

    By Jesus teaching with authority, there was a spirit of amazement for they knew they had heard truth.

    As you approach God’s Word, I encourage you to be ATTENTIVE and seek to ACQUIRE the truth that it conveys about God and about humanity, about you.  As I approach His Word with humility and hunger, I find nuggets of wisdom and jewels of truth that do bring about amazement, and a sense of being struck with brilliance.  His Word is a light and lamp to see the righteous path to walk thus avoiding the wicked, destructive path.  His Word is like milk and meat that feeds our souls.  His Word will pierce down to the root areas of sinfulness to root out the sin.  While His Word does convict it also calls for confession that leads to cleansing.  His Word provides comfort to the brokenhearted.    In His Word is a word for you!  

    Our verse to DATE the Word on July 28 (7/28) is Matthew 7:28. It says, “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were amazed at His teaching,”

    How have you lately been responding to God’s Word as you read it and hear it?  

    Continue Strong being AMAZED at what God has to say to you,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    BTW – there is a great prayer to pray as you approach God’s Word that is found in Psalm 119:18.  It says, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”  Maybe pray,  “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous, wonderful, amazing things out of your law.”

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 26 (7/26) is Matthew 7:26

    “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
    will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” – Matthew 7:26
    You KNEW Better!

    The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus Christ preached does not end as we think of sermons ending.  Instead of presenting an invitation, Jesus will be straightforward and to the point that failure to put into action what He has taught will bring about dire and devastating consequences.   He lets the listener, now the reader, know that it is going to matter how one RESPONDS to His teaching.  

    As we have opportunities to get to know God’s Word by reading it and hearing it, opportunities to learn, and even have in-depth Bible studies of God’s Word we must know that is not enough. One is called to TAKE ACTION! One is called to APPLY THE WORD!  As one LEARNS, one is to LIVE. There is to be the implementation of the instructions.

    In order to get the listener’s attention, Jesus gives a very negative characterization by saying this person who is just listening but not living, hearing but not doing, is FOOLISH (GK – a moron).  He then gives a scary picture of a house built on sand that is going to encounter a storm and the house will be unable to withstand the winds and the rain.   

    Picture the picture He paints of the FOOLISH person.  You can see a house.  You can see that it is sitting on shifting sand and the house is very unstable.  With the first wave and/or wind this house surely will collapse.   This is the picture Jesus wants you to have when you are learning the Word of God BUT then not applying it to your life.   

    Making this practical I think one of the sternest rebukes a person can hear is “YOU KNEW BETTER!”  When I hear that statement, I think of Matthew 7:26. The person had learned but did not live. The person had been taught but did not apply. The person HEARD but did not move to be a DOER.  The person KNEW BETTER.  These are sad words that should not be spoken of us! 

    Is there a spiritual truth that you are neglecting, maybe even rejecting? Is there a spiritual truth you have learned, but presently you are not living?  Hear the words of Jesus and Be a DOER of the Word!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 26 (7/26) is Matthew 7:26. It says, “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

    Don’t be a moron!

    Continue Strong as a DOER of the Word,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    Bonus – you might recall the children’s song about the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.  It was a song I sang as child.  The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    And the rains came tumbling down.
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    But the house on the Rock stood firm.The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    And the rains came tumbling down.
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    And the house on the sand fell flat.So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    And the blessings will come down.
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    So build your life on the Lord.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 24 (7/24) is Matthew 7:24

    “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken
    him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:” – Matthew 7:24
    Matthew 7:24 begins the conclusion of the greatest sermon ever preached called the SERMON ON THE MOUNT.  Jesus Christ started His ministry in Galilee and He has taken (I love how the Message says it) His climbing companions (Mt. 5:2) up on a mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee.  Here He will teach then and what He taught is presented to us in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. 

    As this sermon wraps up, we learn much about the expectations of Jesus regarding what He has taught. He tells the listeners to be more than listeners and be DOERS of His sermon. For Jesus, there is to be an APPLICATION of the INSTRUCTIONS.  His message is not merely INFORMATION but indeed they are INSTRUCTIONS for living life the way God intended life to be lived.  

    To drive home the point of the importance of BEING A DOER Jesus will use an illustration where one would build a house.  As well as give a vivid characteristic of a person based on their actions toward His instructions. The one who TAKES ACTIONS, and APPLIES His teaching is considered WISE as opposed to being FOOLISH.  To illustrate how this person is wise He says they are like a person deciding to build a house on solid ground!  Those who are listening and then DOING are building their life on SOLID GROUND that will withstand the storms of life.

    On the other hand, He will point out that those who only listen and do not put into action are like fools who build their homes on the sand, which easily shifts, providing no security. 

    How about you? Are you a DOER or just a hearer of the Word?  Are you a learner who LIVES what you are learning?  Are you a wise person who applies the Word of God so that your life will be being built on a solid foundation?

    As I consider Matthew 7:24 I find myself having a personal concern as well as a concern for you that read this devotion.  That concern is that we would be educated in the Word of God beyond our obedience.  While being blessed to have the knowledge of God’s Word we may very well not be applying the knowledge. Are you educated beyond your obedience? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 24 (7/24) is Matthew 7:24. It says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”  

    BTW – God did not just give us His Word for information but for TRANSFORMATION and TRANSFORMATION only happens with APPLICATION!

    Continue Strong being a DOER of the Word,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 12 (7/12) is Matthew 7:12

    “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them,
    for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  – Matthew 7:12
    The Golden Rule 

    Matthew 7:12 is commonly called the Golden Rule. You will find it stated as well in Luke 6:31. Luke 6:31 says, “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”

    The Golden Rule makes one think about their actions toward another.  As one thinks about how they would like to be treated Jesus says to put those attitudes and actions into practice.  As well one might think about how they would NOT like to be treated and thus one should not do those things to others.  

    How do you want to be treated?  Surely you want to be respected.  Surely you want others to view you with dignity.  Surely you want to receive forgiveness when you make mistakes.  Surely you want to be treated with kindness and compassion.  Surely you want others to be nice to you.

    So, we ask HOW well are you treating OTHERS?  Do others find they are being respected by you or disrespected by you?  That you are polite or rude to them?  Do they experience a deep concern for them or a lack of concern?  Do they find you are quick to forgive or that you are unforgiving
    Instead of finding you nice, they find you mean and cruel?  Are you treating people the way YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE TREATED?

    One can only imagine how different things would be if we truly practiced the Golden Rule.  Maybe it is time to revive the golden rule and treat people BETTER.  Yes, BETTER than we would want to be treated.

    In providing some help for implementing the above challenge notice from just seven verses how one can find numerous ways we are to TREAT others that will be treating them BETTER.  

    1. Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
    2. 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic with one another; love as brothers, be compassionate, be courteous;”
    3. Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
    4. 2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, (restore one another) encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace (with one another); and the God of love and peace will be with you.
    5. Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Honor one another above yourselves.”
    6. Colossians 3:12 “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
    7. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 12 (7/12) is Matthew 7:12.  It says, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” 

    Continue Strong treating people BETTER than you would want to be treated,
    And remember to DATE the Word 

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 11 (7/11) is Matthew 7:11

    “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  – Matthew 7:11
    God is ABLE and GOD is WILLING to Answer Our Prayers

    As Jesus teaches about prayer, He conveys a WILLINGNESS on the Father’s part to GIVE GOOD THINGS to those who ask.  As we consider ASKING our Father in heaven for the various things we NEED, and let’s be honest, asking for things we WANT, there can be and most likely is a hesitation on our part to ASK.   I suspect you have and may even now be experiencing this hesitation.  

    What brings about this hesitation to ask?  I think there are two reasons. 
    First, this hesitation comes many times because of a lack of faith that GOD is ABLE to handle what we are facing.  While we have read verses about nothing being impossible for God and read stories of God doing the impossible we look at our situation and think we finally have something GOD is UNABLE to handle.  We hesitate to ask because we don’t believe God is ABLE. We need to overcome this lack of faith by growing our faith and knowing that GOD IS ABLE. 

    Secondly, this hesitation to ask comes because there is a lack of knowledge regarding WHO God is and HIS WILLINGNESS to give us the things we ask of Him.   Maybe we have had earthly experiences where our requests were ignored or rejected.  We start telling ourselves there is no need to ask anymore because they don’t care or they just always say no.  Sometimes our earthly experience with maybe a father or someone in authority will start defining our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  We start thinking God is not interested in us.  

    It is this mindset that Jesus wants to debunk.  In the previous verses, He has told us to ASK.  He said ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK.  As we ask, we will receive.  As we seek, we will find. As we knock, it will be open to us.  These are His instructions to us as God’s children.  We are to ASK.

    Knowing this is almost too good to believe Jesus gives an illustration of how an earthly father who is evil gives good gifts to his children, giving them bread rather than rocks and giving them fish rather than a serpent when they ask for something to eat.  He then gives us our verse to DATE saying, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

    Please pay close attention to three words.  HOW MUCH MORE!  In comparison to an earthly father who gives good gifts, Jesus says HOW MUCH MORE will our heavenly Father give GOOD gifts?  God is not just ABLE He is WILLING to give to His children GOOD THINGS when they ask!

    Now one more thing.  Don’t miss that He is willing to give GOOD things.  Not everything you ask for is GOOD FOR YOU!  No is a legitimate answer to prayer!  

    God is so good that He will not give us what is not good for us!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 11 (7/11) is Matthew 7:11. It says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” 

    Now ASK your Heavenly Father for the GOOD THINGS YOU NEED!

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    Prayer TIP: You may want to write the words GOD IS WILLING on an index card with Matthew 7:11!  Let it remind you that GOD IS WILLING so you then will ASK.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 28 (6/28) is Matthew 6:28

    “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field,
    how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;” – Matthew 6:28
    Don’t just STOP and SMELL the Roses, LOOK and LEARN FROM THE ROSES!   

    As Jesus is teaching about trusting God and putting GOD FIRST, He knows there is a very real battle of the urgent vs the important.  He knows there is a battle between focusing on the temporal as opposed to the eternal.  He knows there is a battle between the things of earth and things of heaven.  He knows there is a battle over what one’s priorities will be.  He knows that the essential needs of the physical consume a person, consuming them so much that they neglect their spiritual life.   As He teaches the SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Matt. 6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5, 6, and 7) He wants His followers to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Matthew 6:33 is the MAJOR MESSAGE of the sermon.  To get to the place of SEEKING FIRST GOD Jesus has told them that they can’t serve God and mammon – money.  This creates a natural concern, a conflict, if you will, in their soul. Everyone has physical needs and survival demands getting food and water and clothing.  This means having money and getting money means making it a priority.   Physical survival trumps one’s spiritual’s life.

    For His listeners, He knows that asking them to put the spiritual above the physical could be a little much. So as a great teacher, He addresses the issues by telling them to NOT WORRY about the essential necessities of life – going so far as saying, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.” He then gives illustrations as to why they CAN trust God and put Him first instead of worrying about the essentials of life.  He then points the worrier first to the birds (v26) and now He points the worrier to the flowers.  He says looks or consider how the flowers grow, growing because GOD takes care of them. 

    Sounds simplistic, doesn’t it?   LOOK and LEARN from BIRDS.  LOOK and LEARN from FLOWERS.  Yet in these two examples, we have illustrations to remind us that GOD really does CARE about us and that He can be trusted entirely!    

    Friends, your life is more, far more, than just meeting the necessities of life. You are physical as well as SPIRITUAL and the SPIRITUAL LIFE is so much more valuable!  

    Yes, the question must be asked.  “Will you be putting Jesus first today or your needs first?”  

    As you battle what (WHO) will be first you are encouraged to not just stop and smell some roses but to LOOK and learn.  As God takes care of them, God will take care of those who put Him first!!!

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 28 (6/28) is Matthew 6:28. Matthew 6:28 says, “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;” (worth reading 29 and 30; 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….will he not much more clothe you,)

    Continue Strong with JESUS FIRST,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 26 (6/26) is Matthew 6:26

    “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:26
    Are you a Bird WATCHER?

    Do you take time daily to LOOK at the birds?  Are you a bird watcher? Did you know that is a question on the census and as of May 2023 45 million Americans identify themselves as “BIRDERS” or birdwatchers?  Based on our verse of Matthew 6:26 for June 26 (6/26) today should be NATIONAL BIRD WATCHERS DAY!  And based on today’s verse, everyone, especially those who are PRONE to WORRYING, should be a bird watcher! 

    Looking at what Jesus taught about looking at the birds of the air we must remember that Jesus is pointing us to LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR because He has told us to NOT WORRY ABOUT OUR LIFE.  He said for us to not even worry about what we will eat or drink or have for clothing, which are the NECESSITIES of LIFE. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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?” 

    In order to CALM the worrier down that they really don’t have to worry, Jesus says, LOOK AT THE BIRDS in order to see HOW GOD CARES FOR THEM and if He cares for them then SURELY, HE WILL CARE for YOU!  As one looks at birds one will NOT see birds planting a field of grain to later harvest.  They will see birds constantly finding food provided by God!
     
    BTW – I like visuals so I have a bird feeder outside where I can see birds. It is my Matt. 6:26 reminder that if His eye is on the sparrow, I know He watches me!! 

    Also -just a reminder; Too much concentration (worrying) on the personal cares of life can choke out your commitment to Christ. (Luke 8:14).  Fear and worrying lead to unfruitfulness. 

    One last thought on bird watching.  I encourage you to mark in your Bible Psalm 147:9 for it says about God that “He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 26 (6/26) is Matthew 6:26.  It says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

    So, for June 26 (6/26) do some bird watching and remember you are more valuable to God than the bird!

    Continue Strong knowing how valuable you are to God,
    And remember to DATE the Word