Image via WikipediaChapel Daily Inspiration-WorryJESUS (CONT’D) This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn’t life more importantly than food? And isn’t the body more important than clothes.
JESUS (CONT’D) Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest or put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? If you can’t manage even such a small thing, why worry about the other things?
JESUS (CONT’D) Worry can cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts and reduce your ability to trust God; and it can even harm your health.
JESUS (CONT’D) And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomen with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the fire. What little faith you have.
JESUS (CONT’D) So don’t be all upset, always concerned: Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? (These are the things that those who do not believe in God are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and what he requires of you control of every area of your life: your work, play, plans, relationships, and he will provide you with all these needs (not your desires). So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.
JESUS (CONT’D) Do not be afraid, little flock for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.
JESUS (CONT’D) Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to him who knocks.
JESUS (CONT’D) Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As wicked as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
JESUS (CONT’D) Therefore seek after the Kingdom of God. Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.
JESUS (CONT’D) The Kingdom of God is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has and then goes back and buys that field.
JESUS (CONT’D) Also, the Kingdom of God is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.
JESUS (CONT’D) Also, the Kingdom of God is like this. Some fishermen threw their net out in the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When the net was full, they pulled it to shore and sat down to divide the fish. The good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace where they will cry and gnash their teeth.
JESUS (CONT’D) Do you understand?
DISCIPLES Yes!
JESUS (CONT’D) Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest or put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? If you can’t manage even such a small thing, why worry about the other things?
JESUS (CONT’D) Worry can cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts and reduce your ability to trust God; and it can even harm your health.
JESUS (CONT’D) And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomen with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the fire. What little faith you have.
JESUS (CONT’D) So don’t be all upset, always concerned: Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? (These are the things that those who do not believe in God are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and what he requires of you control of every area of your life: your work, play, plans, relationships, and he will provide you with all these needs (not your desires). So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.
JESUS (CONT’D) Do not be afraid, little flock for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.
JESUS (CONT’D) Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to him who knocks.
JESUS (CONT’D) Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As wicked as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
JESUS (CONT’D) Therefore seek after the Kingdom of God. Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.
JESUS (CONT’D) The Kingdom of God is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has and then goes back and buys that field.
JESUS (CONT’D) Also, the Kingdom of God is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.
JESUS (CONT’D) Also, the Kingdom of God is like this. Some fishermen threw their net out in the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When the net was full, they pulled it to shore and sat down to divide the fish. The good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace where they will cry and gnash their teeth.
JESUS (CONT’D) Do you understand?
DISCIPLES Yes!
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