In Matthew 6:25-34 the Lord is teaching us NOT TO WORRY ABOUT FUTURE NEEDS. Let’s go over this portion and may the Lord impress this lesson upon our hearts and minds. We will be reading from the New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.

Verse 25 says, “For this reason I say to you, DO NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR LIFE, AS TO WHAT YOU WILL EAT OR WHAT YOU WILL DRINK; NOR FOR YOUR BODY, AS TO WHAT YOU WILL PUT ON. Is not your life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” One of the biggest traps we can fall into is to be so focused on the future and on whether or not we’ll have our basic needs met, that we miss out on the real meaning of life. The Lord will end this lesson with these words in verse 34, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In between these two verses He shows us why we don’t need to worry, for GOD WILL PROVIDE ALL OUR NEEDS.

In verse 26 the Lord Jesus states, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more that they?” God’s care for birds teaches us that HE WILL CARE FOR US, for we are of much more value than birds! This verse is NOT teaching us we don’t need to work for our present needs, for we read in 2nd Thessalonians 3:10, “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat.” It is simply teaching us that God places such value on us that we need not worry about starving to death; God will provide us with food.

He will also provide clothing for us, as seen in verses 28-30, “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they no not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” Here too the Lord Jesus uses an illustration from nature to show His care for us, for if He provides such beautiful apparel for the wildflowers of the fields, He will surely clothe those who love and worship Him. To doubt this is to be guilty of having “little faith.”

The Lord admonishes us in verses 31-32, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” We are NOT to spend our life WORRYING about the basic needs of life. Let’s be clear, WORRYING IS A SIN, for it is not trusting our loving and faithful heavenly Father, Who knows what we need. The unsaved are absorbed with these things and are constantly accumulating material things as if this was the whole meaning of life. The Lord warned against this in Luke 12:15, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (NKJV).

The Lord Jesus then issues a most precious promise to believers in verse 33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If we will give God and His interests first place in our lives (instead of being occupied with material things), He will take care of the necessities of life. This includes EVERY FUTURE NEED, so WE NEED NOT WORRY! A commentator had this to say about this promise, “This is God’s SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM.”  (203.3)  (DO)