May 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:24-34:

²⁴No 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.
²⁵Therefore 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?
²⁶Behold 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?
²⁷Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
²⁹And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
³⁴Take 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.

Devotional

"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." God clothes the lilies and feeds the young ravens, and is heartily willing to give us all we need for our earthly life. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" God does not want us to be worried or anxious, but He wants us to "cast our cares upon him, for he careth for us." Yes, He wants us to pray, Give us. He is the great Giver, and He gives what is good. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights."

God sent manna from heaven to feed his people in the wilder­ness. He commanded the ravens to feed Elijah. He wonderfully provided for Ruth. He provides for all his children. The psalmist says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

God has not promised much goods laid up for many years, but sufficient bread for the day. Why should we worry about tomor­row, seeing we know not what shall be on the morrow? "Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content." Not he is happy that has much, but he that is content with what he has.

Prayer

Our Father, the eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing. Be pleased to provide for all our bodily needs, so that we may thereby ac­knowledge Thee to be the only Fountain of all good, and that without Thy blessing neither our care and labor, nor Thy gifts can profit us; that we may therefore withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it alone in Thee. We ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ps. 145:15, 16; Matt. 6:31; 1 Pet. 5:7; James 1:17; Ps. 37:25; Luke 12:19; James 4:14; 1 Tim. 6:8.

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