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God knows our needs and promises to provide. The word for this is providence. The root of this word is “video” which means “to see.” It literally means that God sees you and is looking out for you. We can trust God to do more than provide. We can trust him to know beforehand what we need. God isn’t waiting for us to tell him our needs. He is watching over us. We can trust His providence.
Trust God’s Priorities (v. 33)
Jesus concludes this section with a powerful promise that because God will provide, we are free to seek what He has for us. In verse 25, Jesus poses a question: “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Verse 33 gives us the answer to that question: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Our lives are meant to be spent seeking God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and when we do so, we will see His abundant provision in our lives.
Seeking God’s kingdom is something that we have already been encouraged to pray for. This whole sermon Jesus is giving is focused on what life in God’s kingdom is like. Seeking God’s kingdom means desiring it to come more and more in our midst, to see us drawn back to Him and serving Him and loving others. In order to seek God’s kingdom, though, we have to stop seeking our own. The biggest obstacle to God’s kingdom coming in our own lives is the persistent habit we all have to remain on the throne of our lives. Seeking God’s kingdom requires us to renounce our desire to build our own little kingdom and to submit to Him instead. Seeking God’s kingdom means wanting what God has for us more than what we want for ourselves. It is a supreme act of trust to believe that God knows better than we do what He made us for and where we will do the most good and find the greatest joy.
Seeking God’s righteousness is also something that has come up already in the Sermon on the mount. It is important to differentiate the two. Jesus invites us to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Remember, God’s righteousness doesn’t mean rigid moralism where we try to force ourselves and others to be good on our own. We cannot be good apart from God. We need his help. Seeking kingdom righteousness means learning to seek the source of all life. It means abiding in Christ. The Christian life isn’t something we do on our own or by ourselves. As we draw closer to Jesus, His life flows to us and through us into the world.
Conclusion
How much of your life is spent chasing your tail or searching for that ever-elusive idea of “enough?” What would convince you to shift your trust and realize it’s not all up to you? God calls us to realize that His grand plan for this world includes specific provisions for us. He asks us to stop focusing on seeking our needs and to start seeking His kingdom. He promises when we do so, He will give us what we need. What are you seeking first? What would it take for you to start seeking first the kingdom and righteousness of God?
Discussion Questions:
1. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where do we often place our relationship with God? Why? What do we put first?
2. How do we sometimes lose sight of the real meaning of life? Jesus says, “Is not life more than food?” How does this statement redirect our focus? From what to what?
3. How does trusting God to provide not exempt us from work? What does it mean then?
4. What does providence mean? What fear or need in our own life does it address?
5. What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom? What does it mean to seek God’s righteousness? What does it mean to seek it first?
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