God wants us to believe Him because when we believe Him, He can begin to work to fulfill His word He gave us in Matthew 6:24-34. The reason why many people do not experience His promises is because they do not believe Him. What happens to our lives if we believe:
There are some things we can learn from our text today:
1. If we believe all our needs will be met, no matter what the circumstances are.
Verses 25-26
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Verse 30
So if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he would not be even more clothe you, O people are less trusting?
Jesus said, the reason why our needs are not met is because of unbelief. If we believe that God will supply all our needs, and not only that, He will clothe us more than the lilies of the field. Even birds that do not sow and do not reap and gather supplies in the barn are not shortage of food, moreover we that can work well, will not lack of food.
If God takes care of the birds in the sky and the lilies of the field, God will nourish us also, even more so because in the eyes of God we are more valuable than the birds in the sky and the flowers in the field. That’s what we must believe. We will not lack, because God will meet our needs. Father in Heaven knows what we need, He will surely supply them, no matter what our circumstances or how much our income.
In fact, if we do not have a source of income, He is still able to meet our needs. He is the source of our finances, the source of life and the source of our strength. He is the source of everything for us.
In late 1999, I began my pastoral ministry, the congregation were very few and very modest. Logically, my needs with a wife and two children (in 2000 the second child was born) would not be met, but I decided to trust God as the source of everything for me and my family. And it’s proven, God really sufficed me.
My life did not depend on how many of my congregation and how rich they were, but it was totally dependent on God. I learned to trust and experienced financial breakthrough. I taught the congregation to learn to trust God as well and they also experienced financial breakthrough. They did not afraid of their lack and they really didn’t experience lack.
Today the Lord continues to clothe us with good things, because we continue to believe. If you decide to believe as well, you will experience the same thing.
2. If we believe we will prioritize the kingdom of God and its truth more than Mammon/money (vv 31-33)
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Why are there more people who prioritize making money over the search for God and truth? Because they believe in money than God. They believe money can provide for them and do not believe that God can meet their needs. They feel money is more important than God. If they are lack of money, they feel restless and anxious, but if they lack of the Lord, they do not feel anything. Lack of money is a big issue for them, while the lack of God is not a problem for them.
This is an upside-down Christianity. The lack of God is supposed to be a big problem for us, and the lack of money is not a problem. You may say I’m too fanatical or less grounded, but I’m just a Christian who is trying to be honest to God and the Bible. We do need money but we need God more. Money is important but is not the most important thing.
Money is not everything, Jesus is everything. WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT MONEY BUT WE CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT GOD! Hear ye Christians who have turned upside down! Turn to the Lord and He will turn to you! You can not serve two masters, you have to choose to serve God or to Mammon.
People who worship mammon will focus on the fulfillment of Mammon’s plan. People who worship God will focus on the fulfillment of God’s plan. People who worship mammon rely on money to meet their needs, those who worship God depend on God to meet their needs.
What happens to our lives if we believe it that we will prioritize God and His truth more than making money, and other things.
3. If we believe we will shorten the hardship and suffering and not extend it (v. 34)
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Why do many Christians feel hardship beyond their strength? Because the Lord has outlined hardship enough for one day. Each day has a different hardship. But because of worry, we extend such hardship. We continue to bear today’s hardship to the next day, and we have bore tomorrow’s hardship today.
So what often happens is, today we endure three hardship, namely: the hardship of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Imagine if that happens for many years, then in one day we endure years hardship, that is the hardship that is happening, what has happened, and what will happen (or might not happen).
Obviously they all get too heavy, feel beyond our strength. If we believe, we can shorten or cut hardship. Hardship that logically could last for years, we cut it so it will stop today, because we believe.
In fact, if we believe, we can also cut the hardship of others.
Israel was experiencing a prolonged hardship. That day was the fortieth day, where they were gripped by fear due to intimidation from Goliath. But David came, and finally beat Goliath. That day, the hardship of the whole nation stopped. Imagine if David had not come, who would know how much longer the hardship would have last. But because David believed in the name of the Lord of Hosts, He shortened the hardship.
What happens to our lives if we believe is that we will shorten our hardship and others’, not extend it.
Also read: Enjoying a Complete Victory in Our Lives.
