A VERSE AT A TIME

Topic: CARES AND RICHES 

Text: Luke 8:11-15

Key verse: And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Luke 8:14(KJV)

Many believers never produce good fruit, while some never grow to maturity because of how they manage care and riches. The burden for provision for man’s seeds had always been the Lord’s until man decided he knew what was best for him. A man had to labour and till a cursed ground to meet his needs. All these were restored when Jesus came, preached the Kingdom of God, and introduced God to mankind as Father.

You, therefore, pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy.

 May your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven.

 Give us the food we need today.

During his teaching, Jesus introduced the concept of the Kingdom to his disciples. He explained that in this Kingdom, the citizens rely solely on their King for their needs. All they had to do was ask, and God would meet their needs. God created the idea of work to allow man to exercise dominion over the earth. However, sin and its consequences have corrupted this principle. Man now sees himself as his own source of sustenance and his work as the sole means of livelihood.

God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.” Then God said, “Here! Throughout the whole earth I am giving you as food every seed-bearing plant and every tree with seed-bearing fruit. And to every wild animal, bird in the air and creature crawling on the earth, in which there is a living soul, I am giving as food every kind of green plant.” And that is how it was. Genesis 1:28-30(CJB)

After God freed the children of Israel from Egypt, He taught them an important lesson – that He would be the one to provide for their daily needs. They didn’t have to work or farm for forty years, as God nourished and fed them until they finally reached the Promised Land.

Yet, they murmured and worried about their survival in the wilderness until God destroyed most of them. (1 Corinthians 10:1-10)

The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written to be warnings for us. We live in the time that all those past histories were pointing to. 1 Corinthians 10:11(ERV)

God expects Jesus’ disciples not to worry about survival because of their relationship with a Father who knows and cares for their needs. Instead, he taught them to pray and cast those cares on him.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. (Matthew 5:25,31,32)

Today, Jesus invites us to come to him with the cares, fears and anxieties concerning the new year and receive the rest we need by following his principles for living an abundant life.

Come to me, all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest. Matthew 11:28(EASY)

Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7(AMP)

“If we reject this invitation, our lives will be burdened by care, and we won’t be able to produce any positive outcomes from the messages we receive. Our lives will become barren and unprofitable to the Master who died to make us his disciples.”(John 15:11,16)

Eliminate anxieties and worries about riches to live a life of authentic joy, fruitfulness, and impact. Don’t let monetary concerns hold you back from achieving your full potential. Take charge of your life and free yourself from wealth-related worries.

Prayer

1. Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me this excellent relationship.
2. Father, deliver me from a life of fear and anxiety about my needs and concerns about tomorrow.
3. Teach me to trust you for my sustenance in Jesus’ Name.
4. Help me overcome the burden of pursuing wealth instead of your Kingdom and its growth.
5. Teach me to be content with what you give me; deliver me from all complaining and murmuring in Jesus’ Name, amen.