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About-Him.Com Devotional 09-20-03
http://about-him.com/ The life of Christ, from His baptism to His ascension, following the Harmony of the Gospels. 98: Encouraging Words for the Disciples - Lu. 12:22-32
Luke 12:22 ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
The first word of this discourse is Therefore . It has been said that when we come to the word Therefore we should back up and see what Therefore is there for. Here, Jesus is expanding on the meaning of The Parable of the Rich Fool .
The rich man thought only of himself and did not recognize that his increase came from the Lord who lets the rain fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). The value of our life is not measured by the size of our house or the car that we drive (Luke 12:15). The only true measure of our life is our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer.
The ravens don’t build barns and the lilies don’t toil or spin . They simply rely on their Maker and function in the role that He has assigned to them, yet their glory exceeds that of King Solomon. If God takes such good care of them, why can’t we exercise our faith and realize that we are of far more value to Him. He will not forsake us or see us in want , if we will place His kingdom and His righteousness first in our lives.
Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Conclusion and Application:
When Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow, He wasn’t saying that we should be slothful. He was telling us to not be unduly anxious. We know that anxiety is the root cause of many of the health problems that plague our modern society. We can avoid much stress by not worrying about things that we have no control over (Luke 12:25) and focusing on the things that matter, such as our eternal destiny. The rich man left it all behind for someone else to fight over and was not ready to meet his maker.
I know from experience that when resources are tight, the best thing we can do is be generous to others. If we give to others, others will give to us (Luke 6:38).
Next Week: Parable of the Wedding Feast
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Humor
Employed by the human-development center of a corporation in the midwest, my friend trains employees in proper dress codes and etiquette.
One day as she was stepping onto the elevator, a man casually dressed in jeans and a golf shirt got on with her.
Thinking of her responsibilities, she scolded, "Dressed a little casually today, aren't we?"
The man replied, "That's one benefit of owning the company....";
Quote
The most eloquent prayer is the prayer through hands that heal and bless. The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless. - Rev. Billy Graham
Keep Looking Up!
Don & Marie Spooner
About Him! Ministries
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