Matthew 6:16 says, Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Jesus tells us that when we fast that we are not to make a display of it. Verse seventeen adds, But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; Then verse eighteen concludes, That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Jesus tells us that when we fast that we are to appear as if everything is normal. As with anything that we claim to be doing for God, except witnessing, it should be not be done just so the world will notice. If we fast so people will notice us, then Jesus tells us that we already have our reward, which is earthly praise. Verse nineteen declares, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Jesus warns us to not lay up our treasures in the world, because they will never last. We leave it all when we die. Verse twenty adds, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: We should spend more time doing God's work than we do in simply trying to get rich in worldly goods. The treasures that we lay up in heaven are everlasting, but I don't believe that they are what we would call treasures here on earth. they are spiritual and not material treasures. Verse twenty-one concludes, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus tells us that what we value most determines where our heart, or thoughts and affections, will be focused. As followers of Christ, our focus should be on the things of God and on His will for our lives. Verse twenty-two says, The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Our eyes allow us to see the things of the world, and Jesus tells us that our focus should be on the Light, or the things of God. Verse twenty-three adds, But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Jesus tells us that if we focus on the evil of the world instead of the light of God that the darkness for us is great indeed. Jesus came to be a Light to all the world, but many people refuse to see that Light that leads us to salvation. Verse twenty-four proclaims, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. No no can faithfully serve two masters, especially when the two masters are so much opposed to one another. Jesus makes it very plain. We cannot serve God and mammon, the things of this world, at the same time. I believe that when we begin to make Christianity about how much we have materially as a sign of God's blessings that we are attempting to serve two masters. Verse twenty-five adds, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Jesus tells us that we are not to be concerned about what we eat or what we wear, but how often is that our overlying concern? How often do we spend more time worrying about what we will wear to church than we do about why we should really be going to church to start with? Verse twenty-six continues, Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Jesus tells us to consider the birds. They do not reap or sow, but God provides food for them, and then asks if we are not more important to God than the birds. As God provides for the birds, He will also provide for us if we put our faith in Him. Verse twenty-seven says, Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? We cannot just decide how tall we want to be and make it happen. God is in charge of that. We might possibly stunt our growth by poor diet or other actions, but we will never increase our height. Verse twenty-eight asks, And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Then verse twenty-nine adds, And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Jesus tells us to look at the beauty of the lily and the fact that God makes them so, and then declares that even Solomon with all his riches could not be made more beautiful than the lilies are. Verse thirty continues, Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Jesus tells us that we are to rely on God to meet our daily needs, and the tells us if we don't that we have little faith. Jesus tells us that we should never worry about the things of this world if we are truly living by faith in God. Verse thirty-one declares, Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? I know some people would say that we cannot be expected to live without making sure that we have enough to get through tomorrow and the next few days at least, but Jesus tells us that we are to have no concern about these things but are to put our faith in God to provide for us today. Verse thirty-two adds, (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Jesus tells us that we are not to be like the lost people of the world, but that we as Christians are to acknowledge that God knows and will provide for our needs. Verse thirty-three proclaims. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Jesus gives us the formula for living a successful life, and that is to simply put God first, and then He will provide for our daily needs. Verse thirty-four adds, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. We are not worry about tomorrow, because we cannot control tomorrow. We cannot even ensure that we will have a tomorrow, so why would we spend all our time today thinking or worrying about tomorrow/
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