DO NOT WORSHIP ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“For thou shalt worship no other god; for The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  “Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.”  Exodus 34:14 and 34:17 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God gave Moses specific instructions for the Israelites regarding the Sabbath Day, He gave him two tablets of stone on which were inscribed with the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 31:18)  However, because Moses stayed on the mountain of God for such a long time, the people made themselves a god, an idol cast in gold, in the shape of a calf, and worshiped it. (Exodus 32:1-8)  When Moses came down from the mountain of God and saw the golden calf and the people drinking and dancing, he threw the stone tablets at them and then he destroyed the golden calf. (Exodus 32:19-20)  Then he said, “Whoever is for The Lord, come to me.”  All those who did not come to him were killed. (Exodus 32:26-29)  Then Moses chiseled out two smooth stone tablets, like the one he had broken, and went back up to the mountain of God. (Exodus 34:1-5)  This time when Moses came down the mountain his face was radiant and the people feared him and they listened to him. (Exodus 34:29-35)  Then the Israelites gathered all of the materials as The Lord God had instructed and the built the tabernacle (Exodus 36:8-38), the Arc of The Covenant (Exodus 37:1-9), and all of the other things as He had instructed them. (Exodus 37:10 through 40:33)

 

APPLICATION

The first of the Ten Commandments is: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)  In His explanation of the second of the Ten Commandments He said, “… for I, The Lord your God, am a jealous God …” (Exodus 20:5)  Here in this text, He is reiterating that He is jealous, and that He wants nothing to be worshiped but Him.  Unfortunately, today some people worship other gods, and some people worship other people as their god.  Some people worship their spouse, their loved one, their children, or their grandchildren.  Some people even worship their cars, their homes, or some other material object which they possess.  Worship of anything other than The Lord God is a sin, and that offends His jealous nature.

 

DO NOT VALUE YOUR CHILDREN MORE THAN GOD

PROCLAMATION

“And He said, ‘Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’ ”  Genesis 22:2 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Sometime later, after Abraham had sent Hagar and Ishmael away, when Isaac was a young man, God tested Abraham. (Genesis 22:1-2)  God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.  Abraham was obedient and early the next morning set out to the place that God had told him. (Genesis 22:3-8)  But The Angel of The Lord stopped him before he killed his son and showed him a ram which was caught in the bush.  He passed the test and The Lord God promised to bless him because he was obedient. (Genesis 22:9-18)

 

APPLICATION

Children are a blessing from God. (Psalm 127:3)  Unfortunately, today too many parents value and love their children more than they love their mates and more than they value and love The Lord God.  Our children can take us out to brunch on Sunday morning, but we can’t take them to church on Sunday morning.  The Lord God said that He was a jealous God, and no one should put anyone or anything above Him. (Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7)  We are to love The Lord God with all our heart, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)  Nothing is to come before God in our lives.  Yes, we are to love, provide for, train, and protect our children, but we are not supposed to place them above God.  We are to make God first, and then everything else will fall into place. (Matthew 6:33)

 

GIVE GOD YOUR VERY BEST

PROCLAMATION

“In the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto The Lord.  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.  And The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; But unto Cain and his offering He had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”  Genesis 4:3-5 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this fourth chapter of Genesis, Moses presents the sons of Adam and Eve.  Cain, the oldest, grew up to be a worker of the soil, and Abel grew up to be a keeper of the flocks. (Genesis 4:1-2)  In the course of time, Cain brought of some of the fruits which he had produced as an offering to The Lord.  Abel, however, brought the best from the firstborn of his flock as an offering to The Lord.  The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but He did not look upon Cain and his offering with favor. (Genesis 4:3-5 and Hebrews 11:4)  Cain did not give The Lord God the best of his produce.  God told him that if he had done that which was right, and given of his best, he and his offering would have been accepted. (Genesis 4:6-7)  Afterwards, while they were in the field, Cain attacked and killed his brother Abel. (Genesis 4:8)  Later on, God asked Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?”  Cain replied, “I know not; Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)  The blood of Abel cried out to The Lord God from the ground, and He cursed Cain then drove him out of the land.  God put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. (Genesis 4:10-16)  Adam and Eve then had another son, Seth.

 

APPLICATION

When we give to The Lord God, we should give Him the very best of whatever it is that we have to offer.  We are to give to Him from the first fruits of all of our increases. (Proverbs 3:9)  He deserves the first portion of the very best that we have, and not some small part of that which is left over after we give to ourselves and to others.  We need to put God first in everything, including our giving of our time, our talent, and our treasures. (Matthew 6:33)

 

DON'T VALUE MONEY MORE THAN CHRIST

PROCLAMATION

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ ”  Matthew 19:23-24 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  After speaking in parables to the crowd in Capernaum regarding Causing One to Stumble (Matthew 18:6-9), the Wandering Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14), Dealing With Sin in The Church (Matthew 18:15-20), and the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35), Jesus left Galilee and went into Judea, on the other side of the Jordan River.  A great multitude followed Him, and He healed all the sick among them. (Matthew 19:1-2)  Some Pharisees also followed Him, but they wanted to test Him.  They asked Him a question regarding the lawfulness of divorce for any and every reason. (Matthew 19:3)  Jesus explained that divorce was not part of God’s original plan.  Moses permitted them to divorce because the hardness of their hearts.  Divorce is only acceptable in the case of sexual immorality. (Matthew 19:4-9)  In response to a rich young man who wanted to know what he must do to get eternal life, Jesus told him to keep the commandments.  He replied that he had kept the commandments and wanted to know what else he should do. (Matthew 19:16-20)  Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor then follow Him.  The young man went away sad because he had great wealth.  That was when Jesus, The Christ, said that it would be difficult for a rich man to enter heaven.

APPLICATION

There is nothing wrong with being rich or wealthy.  Poverty is not a requirement for becoming a Christian.  The problem is that the rich tend to rely on their money to solve their problems and they cannot buy salvation.  They value their money and their possessions more than they value having a relationship with The Lord God.  They put their trust in their money rather than in God.  Nothing in our lives should be more important to us than The Lord God.  We need to put God first in our lives.  We need to acknowledge Him in all that we do. (Proverbs 3:6)  The love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

DO NOT WORSHIP ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Do not worship any other god, for The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  Exodus 34:14  “Do not make any idols.”  Exodus 34:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God gave Moses specific instructions for the Israelites regarding the Sabbath Day, He gave him two tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments and His covenant law. (Exodus 31:18)  However, because Moses stayed on the mountain of God so long, the people made themselves a god, an idol cast in gold in the shape of a calf, and worshiped it. (Exodus 32:1-8)  When Moses came down from the mountain of God and saw the golden calf and the dancing, he threw the stone tablets at them and then he destroyed the golden calf. (Exodus 32:19-20)  Then he said, “Whoever is for The Lord, come to me.”  All those who did not come to him were killed. (Exodus 32:26-29)  The Moses then chiseled out two smooth stone tablets, like the one he had broken and went back up to the mountain of God. (Exodus 34:1-5)  This time when Moses came down from the mountain of God, his face was radiant and the people listened to him. (Exodus 34:29-35)  Then the Israelites gathered all of the materials as The Lord God had instructed and the built the tabernacle (Exodus 36:8-38), the Arc of The Covenant (Exodus 37:1-9), and all of the other things as He had instructed them. (Exodus 37:10 through 40:33)

Application:

The first of the Ten Commandments is: “You shall have not other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)  In His explanation of the second of the Ten Commandments He said, “… for I, The Lord your God, am a jealous God …” (Exodus 20:5)  Here in this text, He is reiterating that He is jealous, and that He wants nothing to be worshiped but Him.  Unfortunately, today some people worship other gods, and some people worship other people as their god.  Some people worship their spouse, their love one, or their children.  Some people even worship their cars, their homes, or some other material object which they possess.  Worship of anything other than The Lord God is a sin, and that offends His jealous nature.

DON'T VALUE YOUR CHILDREN MORE THAN GOD

Proclamation:

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”  Genesis 22:2 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham moved on from Canaan southward towards Egypt.  Again Abraham referred to his wife Sarah as his sister. (Genesis 20:2)  While they were in a foreign land, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son, Isaac, to Abraham when he was one hundred years old. (Genesis 21:1-5)   Sarah did not want Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, to share in his inheritance with her son, Isaac, so she told him to “get rid of that slave woman,” Hagar, and her son. (Genesis 21:8-10)  Sarah’s request distressed him, but after talking to The Lord, he did what Sarah wanted. (Genesis 21:11-14)  Some time later, when Isaac was a young man, God tested Abraham. (Genesis 22:1-2)  He passed the test and The Lord God promised to bless him. (Genesis 22:9-18)

Application:

Unfortunately, today too many parents value and love their children more than their mates and more than they value and love The Lord God.  Our children can take us to brunch on Sunday morning but we can’t take them to church on Sunday morning.  The Lord God said that He was a jealous God and no one should make anyone or anything a god above Him. (Exodus 20:3-5 and Deuteronomy 5:7-9)  We are to love The Lord God with all our heart, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)  Nothing is to come before God in our lives.  We are to make God first, and everything else fall into place after Him. (Matthew 6:33)

GIVE THE LORD GOD YOUR VERY BEST

Proclamation:

“In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to The Lord.  And Abel also brought an offering, fat portions from some of the first born of his flock.  The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.”  Genesis 4:3-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this fourth chapter of Genesis, Moses presents the sons of Adam and Eve.  Cain grew up to be a worker of the soil and Abel grew up to be a keeper of the flocks. (Genesis 4:1-2)  In the course of time, Cain brought of some fruits as an offering to The Lord.  Abel, however, brought the best from the first born of his flock as an offering to The Lord.  Abel and his offering were looked upon with favor by The Lord, but He did not look upon Cain and his offering with favor. (Hebrews 11:4)  Cain did not give The Lord God his best and The Lord God told him that if he had done that which was right, he and his offering would have been accepted. (Genesis 4:6-7)

Application:

When we give to The Lord God, we should give Him the very best of what we have to offer.  We are to give to Him from the first fruits of all of our increases. (Proverbs 3:9)  He deserves the first portion of the very best that we have, and not some small part of that which is left over after we give to ourselves and to others. We need to put God first in everything, including our giving. (Matthew 6:33)

YOUR MONEY SHOULD NOT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHRIST

Proclamation:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10:25 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark who was the nephew of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and not one of the apostles.  This is part of the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  After recording what Jesus had to say about divorce, (Mark 10:2-12) Mark presents the encounter and the conversation that occurred between Jesus and the young rich man who asked Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17-25)  Jesus told him to keep the commandments and he said that he had done that since he was a boy. (Mark 10:19-20)  Then Jesus told him that there was one thing that he lacked, and that he should go sell everything that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and then follow Him.  The young man went away grieved because he was very wealthy. (Mark 10:21-22)  The treasures of this life were more important to him than the treasures in heaven that Jesus promised him. (Mark 10:21)

Application:

This is the only recorded incident in The Bible where someone came to Jesus, The Christ, asking what he must do to be saved and went away disappointed. (Mark 10:22)  There is nothing wrong with being rich and wealthy.  Having a lot of money is not the problem.  The problem is our love for money, (1 Timothy 6:10) the importance that we place on money or possessions, and the fact that we value them more than we value The Lord God. (Exodus 20:3)  We are to put God first in our lives.  If we put Him first, everything else will be taken care of. (Matthew 6:33)  We are not to trust in the riches of this world; we are to trust in The Lord God. (1 Timothy 6:17) 

WE SHOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN WE LOVE THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for The Father is not in them.  For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from The Father but from the world.”  1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to all who believed in Jesus, The Christ.  He begins this second chapter by urging them not to sin.  He tells them that if they know and love The Lord God, then they will keep His commands. (1 John 2:1-6)  He also tells them that anyone who hates his brother or sister still lives in darkness. (1 John 2:9-11)  Then he tells them not to love the world or anything in the world because if they do, then the love of The Father is not in them.  He goes on to warn them not to deny The Son of God, (1 Peter 2:22-23) encouraging them instead to hold on to that which they have already been taught so that they will be ready when The Lord returns. (1 John 2:24-29)

Application:

Nothing in this world should be more important to us than The Lord God.  We should not make gods of anything in the world by giving them the primary place in our affections.  We must put God first. (Exodus 20:3)  There is nothing wrong with having possessions, dear friends, or love ones.  The problem comes when we place too much importance on them and value them above The Lord.  If we love the things of this world that much, then we are serving the prince of this world, Satan. (1 Corinthians 2:6)  If we put God first, then all of the other things will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33 and Luke 12:31)

ONCE WE ARE COMMITTED TO CHRIST THERE IS NO TURNING BACK

Proclamation:

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”  Luke 9:62 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Luke, the physician and frequent travelling companion of the Apostle Paul.  Luke begins this chapter by recounting when Jesus sent His twelve disciples out to the surrounding towns to proclaim the gospel, heal the sick, and to cast out demons. (Luke 9:1-6)  Luke also reports that Jesus fed five thousand men, not counting the women and children who were also in the crowd, with two small fish and five barley loaves of bread. (Luke 9:10-17)  He said that then Jesus predicted His death twice. (Luke 9:21-27 and 43-45)  Luke then presents the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Him. (Luke 9:28-36)  Later Jesus healed a demon possessed boy who the disciples could not heal. (Luke 9:37-43)  Luke end this chapter by explaining the cost that men bear for following Jesus. (Luke 9:57-62)

Application:

Nothing on earth is more important than following Jesus, The Christ.  That includes taking care of and burying a family member (Luke 9:59-61) or delaying following Him to go and say goodbye to your family. (Luke 9:61-62)  The Apostle Paul made it clear that he feels nothing is more important than following Christ. (Philippians 3:13-14)  Once we have committed to following Him, we cannot look back on our past life and long for any of it.  After being warned not to look back, (Genesis 19:17) looking back and longing for what she left behind is what cost Lot’s wife her life. (Genesis 19:26)  Wanting things from our past life after committing to follow Christ makes us unfit for service. (Luke 9:62)  Our worldly concerns should not interfere with our heavenly focus.  However, there are some Bible scholars (like John Gill) who think that this last section refers to preachers and their ministry.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

May The Good Lord bless you with a healthy, happy, and prosperous year in 2018, and for all of the years to come.  Remember, we cannot have a better year in 2018 than we did in 2017 if we continue to do the same things that we did in 2017. (Ephesians 4:22-27)  We must stop doing some of our old non-productive ways and get a new way of doing things with a new attitude and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 18:31)  Some of our blessings are based upon our choices, like who we chose to walk with, stand with, sit with, hang-out with, and how we spend our time. (Psalms 1:1-2)  If we put God first in 2018, I am sure that we will have a much better year. (Matthew 6:33)  

May you have a blessed new year!!!

THE LORD GOD DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES

Proclamation:

“The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.  He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses.”  Psalm 135:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author.  It is thought to have been written by King David because the beginning is similar to Psalm 134, and it begins and ends with “hallelujah” like Psalm 113.  This is another one of the hallelujah psalms, a song of praise.  After exhorting the saints to praise The Lord and presenting the justification for doing so, (Psalm 135:3-5) the psalmist presents the awesomeness of God. And His power. (Psalm 135:6-7)  He follows this with several examples of things which The Lord God did. (Psalm 135:8-12)  Then he repeats the description of the idol gods and the people who worship them. (Psalm 115:4-11 and 135:15-18)  He ends the psalm by encouraging the people of God to praise The Lord. (Psalm 135:19-21)

Application:

Believers are encouraged to praise The Lord for He is good and He is great. (Psalm 135:3 and 5)  It is He who controls the weather and not Mother Nature. (Psalm 135:6-7)  Do not give credit which belongs to Him to anyone or anything.  This world is His, He made it. (Genesis 1:1)  We should not put anything ahead of God.  Nothing should be more important to us than The Lord God.  Most of us spend more time watching television than we do praising The Lord.  He is all powerful and deserves our praise and worship.

PUT GOD FIRST AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Proclamation:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples and to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  While teaching them not to worry about the things that they need, Jesus said that their Heavenly Father knows what they need. (Matthew 6:31-32)  He said, if they put God first, then God would supply all of their needs.

Application:

All too often we focus on, and get caught up worrying about, the unimportant worldly things.  We take our focus off of The Lord God and then we wonder why things go wrong.  Remember, the Apostle Peter walked on water towards Jesus and did not start to sink until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm. (Matthew 14:28-31)  As we begin this New Year, let us put The Lord God first.  Let us pray before we speak or take action that we may please Him.  May The Good Lord grant all of us a blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

PUT NOTHING IN LIFE BEFORE GOD

Proclamation:

“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?' ... Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me."  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven ... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:16-26 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here Jesus answered the questions of a self-declared righteous young man who had asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, his reply was that he had kept the commandments since the days of his youth. (Matthew 19:20)  Then he asked what else he should do.  That was when Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him.  He left Jesus sad because he valued his money and possession more than he valued Jesus.

Application:

Most rich people have more faith in their money than in God, and they value their possessions more than the things of God.  Nothing should be more important to us than God.  We should not put anything ahead of God. (Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60)  There is nothing wrong with have lots of money and possessions as long as the money and things are not more important to us than God is.  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  Jesus also said that everyone who gave up their worldly possessions to follow Him would receive a hundred times as much and they will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)  Before we start asking God for more blessings, we should make sure that He is first, and the most important thing in our life.

WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING

Proclamation:

Jesus told His disciples, "Follow me." Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Explanation

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew and also by the Apostle John.  As Jesus began His earthly ministry He chose His disciples by stating this simple, and yet profound and life changing statement when He said, “Follow Me.”  That phrase was an idiom which had a meaning far beyond the usual meaning of the individual words.  The implication was to put Christ first in their lives and to emulate Him.  To be a disciple of Christ one must deny themselves, take up their personal cross and walk as He walked. (Matthew 16:24)

Application:

At one time or another in our lives most of us have looked up to someone that we admired and wanted to be like.  That person could have been called our hero.  Unfortunately, all too often we pick the wrong person to imitate and emulate because that person has faults and short-comings just like the rest of us.  As believers we are called to emulate Christ.  We are to be His disciples or students.  To follow Him is to be an imitator of Christ, which requires obedience to His teachings and is exemplified by moral behavior.  "The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord ..." (Psalms 37:23)  "Order my steps in Thy word ..." (Psalms 119:133)  Our direction and path should be determined by The Lord.  Only He knows where we are going and only He knows the way there.  Jesus is The Way! (John 14:6)  The old expression, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way" (Author Unknown) was said to motivate procrastinators to do something.  If you are not following Jesus and leading people to Jesus, then you are going the wrong way.  If you are not following Jesus, The Christ, then who are you following?

PUT GOD FIRST

Proclamation:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Explanation:

After speaking with His disciples and teaching them about prayer, fasting, treasures in heaven, and telling them not to worry about earthly concerns like their next meal, or drink, or their clothing, Jesus then told them that they should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all of their earthly needs would be provided.

Application:

If we put God first in our lives, and obey His Word, then He will supply all of our needs.  The phrase "... and all these things ..." does not refer to everything that we want.  It refers to the food, drink, and clothing, mentioned in the preceding two verses.  God knows what we need. (Matthew 6:32)  We should be more concerned about the salvation of our soul and about pleasing God, than about our earthly comfort and satisfaction.  This does not mean that we will not be blessed with some of the nice earthly things that we want.  We just should not put getting those things above pleasing God.  Having money, wealth and possessions is not a sin, it is the love of money and things that is sinful. (1 Timothy 6:10)  We need to sincerely seek God,  to desire, to pursue, to strive for, to aim for that which is pleasing to God; and we need to do it as best as we can. (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37)  Pleasing God should be our number one priority. (Mark 12:30)  If we first seek to please God, He will be pleased, and we will be blessed. (Psalms 119:2)  By putting Him first we will have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Be Content With What We Have

"But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."  
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NIV)

While under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words in a letter to his protege, Timothy, the young preacher.  Paul told him that it is good to be godly and content.  He said, if they have food and clothing, they should be content with that.

There are people who have a closet full of clothes, and yet they say that they have nothing to wear.  It does not seem to matter how much we have, we still want more of it.  Most of us have not learned to be content with that which we already have.  The desire for material things can cloud our judgment, and negatively impact our priorities.  We need to be thankful and grateful for that which we have, and we need to learn godliness with contentment. (Philippians 4:11)  If we were good stewards over that which The Lord has blessed us with, maybe He would bless us with more without us having to ask for it. (Matthew 25:15-23)  We ought to be content with having the basic necessities of life, or with whatever we have.  There is nothing wrong with having lots of possessions, as long as the desire for them, or the desire for money to acquire them, does not rule us. (1 Timothy 6:10)  The problem is not the things, the problem is our desire for them.  Being self-indulgent can be problematic, if we place it above seeking The Lord God. (Matthew 6:33)  Do not put the creations above, or before, The Creator. (Romans 1:25)

Put God First

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

After speaking with His disciples and teaching them about prayer, fasting, treasures in heaven, and telling them not to worry about earthly concerns like their next meal, or drink, or their clothing, Jesus then told them that they should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all of their earthly needs would be provided.

If we put God first in our lives, and obey His Word, then He will supply all of our needs.  The phrase "... and all these things ..." does not refer to everything that we want.  It refers to the food, drink, and clothing, mentioned in the preceding two verses.  God knows what we need. (Matthew 6:32)  We should be more concerned about the salvation of our soul and about pleasing God, than about our earthly comfort and satisfaction.  We need to sincerely seek God,  to desire, to pursue, to strive for, to aim for that which is pleasing to God; and we need to do it  as best as we can. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)  Pleasing God should be our number on priority. (Mark 12:30)  If we first seek to please God, He will be pleased, and we will be blessed. (Psalms 119:2)