The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (58)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on January 19, 2011
Topic: Possessions, Money, and Life (7): One Day at a Time
No audio available for this study.Background
We learnt last week that what we seek after is what occupies our thought, and what we are most concerned with. We saw that worldly things, like, food, clothing, fame, possessions, etc., are the preoccupation of people whose faith is not in Jesus Christ. We said that a Christian is not to be preoccupied with such worldly things; rather, he is to seek after heavenly things.
We saw that the Lord tells us not to take thought of our necessities and the future. In other words, we should ‘Stop thinking, and start seeking!’ The Lord tells us to seek first the things of God, and then the things that those who don’t know God are seeking after, which are necessary for our wellbeing will be added unto us.
We noted that our seeking God should not be for the purpose of possessions, money, fame, and position, among others, but, so that we can be made righteous by God; so that we can be with God always; so that God’s kingdom can continue to advance on earth; and, so that we can know what is the right and acceptable thing to do in every situation. We saw that when we seek God for the right reasons, He gives us those necessaries and more, here on earth, which the people who don’t trust Him seek after. Put another way, when we make righteousness our objective in seeking God, the things that the world seeks after, shall pursue and overtake us.
God’s word to us is, “Chase after Me, and I will give you necessaries and more, which others are chasing after!”
Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 6:34
Our scripture text tonight tells us three things: take no thought for tomorrow; tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself; and, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. In other words, do not to be anxious about tomorrow, not to talk of the distant future. May the Holy Spirit give us deliverance from taking thought of tomorrow and beyond.
One major lesson that we are going to learn today is to take each day as it comes. So is there a place for planning? And where does prayer come in?
James 4:13-16; Psalm 127:1-2; Matthew 6:11-13; Philippians 4:6-7; John 16:32-33; 14:1; 1 John 4:4; 5:4; Proverbs 20:18; 24:6; 2 Kings 6:8-12; 1 Kings 12:2-16; Psalm 1:1-3; Isaiah 28:9-13; Psalm 119:105; Joshua 3:1-4; Psalm 37:23, 25; Proverbs 3:5-6.
Conclusion
The lessons for tonight are as follows:
1. Don’t be anxious, neither be troubled, nor fret yourself about tomorrow (and by implication, beyond tomorrow).
2. Tomorrow comes with its own challenges, not even known today, and will be taken care of, the same way today’s challenges are being taken care of.
3. Every day has its own challenges, and if you live as you should, they will be taken care of.
4. Live one day at a time. Don’t crowd your life with thoughts of the future.
5. Commit each day to the Lord and get out of the way.
6. Planning is good, only if it is based on wise and godly counsel; and especially, if such counsel is from God.
7. Walk with God one day at a time; step by step.
8. Faith (absolute trust in God and His word) is the key to being able to live one day at a time; not the predictions of soothsayers (star gazers, horoscope writers, journalists, professors, politicians, magicians, herbalists, false prophets, etc.), nor the stories of talebearers.
When next something in you wants to get you to worry about tomorrow, remember the scripture, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
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