Morning Devotion
February 5, 2025
Today's Bible Verse
Matthew 6:34
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.
Today's Bible Study
In this verse from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us to think about today and not dwell on what might happen tomorrow. Each day brings its own burdens and its own strengths, and to make the most of each, we should live focusing on the day at hand.
First, let's look at what the verse is not saying. It isn't telling us not to plan for retirement, or to procrastinate on big projects, or to let laundry pile up because tomorrow doesn't matter. Rather, the verse is advising us not to worry about tomorrow, thinking with dread and fear about whatever might happen. We should trust that the Lord will provide for us tomorrow, just as He does in the present day.
It takes a huge amount of effort to focus on today and not think about tomorrow. I live in an area where tornadoes are common in the spring, and sometimes I make the mistake of checking the weather channel. Often, I'll hear about a tornado threat for a week in advance of the day it might hit. I'll find myself worrying about it for days before, even though there is nothing that I can do to prevent a tornado and no way that I can make my house any less likely to be impacted by it. If I took today's verse to heart, I would pray for the protection of my family and home, but beyond that, leave the rest in God's hands. Yes, it takes a lot of trust in the Lord not to give your anxieties airtime but that is what Jesus is telling us to do in this verse.
First, let's look at what the verse is not saying. It isn't telling us not to plan for retirement, or to procrastinate on big projects, or to let laundry pile up because tomorrow doesn't matter. Rather, the verse is advising us not to worry about tomorrow, thinking with dread and fear about whatever might happen. We should trust that the Lord will provide for us tomorrow, just as He does in the present day.
It takes a huge amount of effort to focus on today and not think about tomorrow. I live in an area where tornadoes are common in the spring, and sometimes I make the mistake of checking the weather channel. Often, I'll hear about a tornado threat for a week in advance of the day it might hit. I'll find myself worrying about it for days before, even though there is nothing that I can do to prevent a tornado and no way that I can make my house any less likely to be impacted by it. If I took today's verse to heart, I would pray for the protection of my family and home, but beyond that, leave the rest in God's hands. Yes, it takes a lot of trust in the Lord not to give your anxieties airtime but that is what Jesus is telling us to do in this verse.
The Lord wants us to depend on him every moment that we live. He will always be with us. When we are tempted to think about what might happen tomorrow, we are forgetting that the Lord has given us enough to handle today. We're overburdening ourselves with a weight that we weren't meant to carry. This is a burden that He will release us from, and that begins with surrendering to Him now, and tomorrow, and trusting that He will provide for us exactly what we need.
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you for your kindness and goodness to me. Help me not to get so caught up in worrying about tomorrow that I miss what you have for me today. I want to be a good steward of my thought life. I trust that you will provide for me every day of my life, and I rest in that thought. In Jesus' name, amen.
If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.
-C.S. Lewis
God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.
-Elbert Hubbard
The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.
-C.S. Lewis
If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.
-Dorothy Parker
Yesterday's Devotional
February 4, 2025
Yesterday's Bible Verse
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Yesterday's Bible Study
This verse reminds us to pray for wisdom. It's encouraging because it tells us that the Lord gives wisdom generously to all people and will not rebuke anyone who asks for it. We'll break the verse down by what it says about God and how we should respond.
The highlight of the verse is God's generosity: He is happy to give wisdom to those who seek it. The Lord isn't hoarding wisdom or making it privy to only a select few. Much to the contrary, He freely gives it. He is happy for people to ask for wisdom. He will not shame those who desire to become wise. It does not matter who the person asking for wisdom is, only that the person knows the Lord and believes that He will answer the request.
It is important to the Lord that we grow in wisdom. We should not be the same kind of Christian today that we were ten years ago; we should always be growing in our knowledge of the Lord and becoming more and more like Him. The Lord will help us do this by giving us wisdom as we ask for it.
The highlight of the verse is God's generosity: He is happy to give wisdom to those who seek it. The Lord isn't hoarding wisdom or making it privy to only a select few. Much to the contrary, He freely gives it. He is happy for people to ask for wisdom. He will not shame those who desire to become wise. It does not matter who the person asking for wisdom is, only that the person knows the Lord and believes that He will answer the request.
It is important to the Lord that we grow in wisdom. We should not be the same kind of Christian today that we were ten years ago; we should always be growing in our knowledge of the Lord and becoming more and more like Him. The Lord will help us do this by giving us wisdom as we ask for it.
And our only role is to ask for wisdom, because only then will the Lord grant it to us. Because of this, we know the wisdom that we have is from the Lord. We can ask for wisdom in prayer and read the Bible with a focus on learning more about who God is. Knowing the Lord will make us wiser because as we understand His character, we will become more like Him.
Once we have been granted wisdom by the Lord, we must apply it to our lives. If we're in a tough situation, for instance, we should remember to pray before making a decision. Applying wisdom to our lives means we'll know the kind of entertainment to enjoy, the right words to say, and how to respond to other people in difficult circumstances. Wisdom is using what God has graciously given us and then turning to Him, again and again, to help us become even wiser.
Once we have been granted wisdom by the Lord, we must apply it to our lives. If we're in a tough situation, for instance, we should remember to pray before making a decision. Applying wisdom to our lives means we'll know the kind of entertainment to enjoy, the right words to say, and how to respond to other people in difficult circumstances. Wisdom is using what God has graciously given us and then turning to Him, again and again, to help us become even wiser.
Yesterday's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you so much for wisdom. Help me to see you above all else and continue to grow wiser day by day. Using the wisdom you have given me, help me to have discernment when I'm facing something difficult and to know what you want me to do. I love you, Lord, and I ask you to keep giving me wisdom. In Jesus' name, amen.