Day Three: Who Do You Trust?

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV)

Most pastors preach this passage detached from the previous verses. The problem is the word “therefore.” As I was taught in seminary, when the word “therefore” is in a passage, you need to ask the question, “What is it there for?”

In this particular passage, Jesus is connecting His teaching about money and your relationship to it with the heart of the issue: What are you trusting for your security… God or your money?

Jesus prosecutes the argument that you and I trust the wrong thing for our security.

Sure, each of us would feel more secure with $1 million in the bank. But as Jesus points out in Matthew 6:19, money cannot be relied on because it has no power to secure anything. The treasure of earth just rusts and rots.

In comparison, He points to how the treasure of heaven remains eternally. No rot, rust, or robber can touch it. So rather than grabbing on to money for your security, you ought to look to Him for that security, which is why He calls you and me out on what causes us to trust money more than Him.

Worry. Worry that He might not come through when it really matters.

That’s why He now points to His care for His creation. And when it comes to His creation, YOU are the most prized of His handiwork. So if He cares so perfectly for the lesser of His creation, doesn’t it stand to reason that He will care for you? Perfectly?

You see, at the heart of the matter is trust. Your relationship to money exposes the nature of your faith in Jesus. Is it a platitude or the real deal? Do you really trust Jesus to care for you? Do you really believe He is trustworthy?

I don’t know what you are wrestling with today, but Jesus wants you to know that He has your back. You can trust Him completely. He is your only true source of security.

So you need to ask yourself, “Do I trust Jesus or my money more?” That’s a question worth pondering today.