He Will Take Care of You

“’Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?'” (Matthew 6:25, NKJV)

Here in Matthew 6 and also in Luke 12 we see this teaching of Jesus, with slight variances in tone. In both instances, He had just related the folly of relying on riches. In neither case does Jesus preach against the earning of wealth. In both the hoarding of resources is the problem on which He puts the divine finger.

Contrary to currently popular political dogma, the existence of the proverbial 1% (the Haves) is nothing new, nor is the distinction between them and the unwashed masses (the Have-nots). There has been and always will be societal disparities in wealth levels. In three of the four Gospels, Jesus asserted to His disciples, “‘(Y)ou have the poor with your always . . ..’” (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8) On the other hand, He commended ministry to the needy (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22)

What he teaches in this verse and in Luke 12 is that worry (excessive concern) for temporal things should not consume the child of God, regardless of their income level. Yes, we are to be diligent and provide for our families, as the whole of Scripture teaches, but once again Jesus’s greater concern is, “do not worry.” Many times His teaching is focused primarily on assuaging anxiety, the great foe of faith.

This confidence should be a distinction between believers and non-believers. “‘For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.’” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

God knows what you need. Be faithful. Do your part. He will take care of you.