Inner Focus Determines Outer Life — March 9 [Description]Passage Overview:Matthew 6:22-34 and Luke 11:33-36 both emphasize the importance of what we fix our eyes and hearts on, and how that shapes our inner life and daily choices.Matthew 6:22-23 teaches that the "eye is the lamp of the body." If your eye (your focus, your perspective) is clear and healthy, your whole life will be filled with light. But if it’s bad or clouded—focused on greed, worry, or sin—your whole life will be dark.Matthew 6:24-34 goes deeper into what we often fix our eyes on: money, survival, the future. Jesus reminds us that we can’t serve both God and wealth. He then urges us not to worry about daily needs like food, clothing, or tomorrow’s problems, because God knows our needs and provides for His people. The command is to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will fall into place.Luke 11:33-36 parallels the light imagery—no one hides a lamp; instead, they let it shine to give light to others. Jesus again warns about the condition of the eye, encouraging His listeners to make sure their inner life is full of light, not darkness.In Summary:Both passages challenge us to examine what we’re focusing on—because our inner focus determines our outer life. If we’re consumed by worry, money, or shallow pursuits, we’ll live in darkness. But if we’re focused on God, His truth, and trust in His care, we’ll live with purpose, peace, and light that shines for others.

Inner Focus Determines Outer Life — March 9 [Description]Passage Overview:Matthew 6:22-34 and Luke 11:33-36 both emphasize the importance of what we fix our eyes and hearts on, and how that shapes our inner life and daily choices.Matthew 6:22-23 teaches that the "eye is the lamp of the body." If your eye (your focus, your perspective) is clear and healthy, your whole life will be filled with light. But if it’s bad or clouded—focused on greed, worry, or sin—your whole life will be dark.Matthew 6:24-34 goes deeper into what we often fix our eyes on: money, survival, the future. Jesus reminds us that we can’t serve both God and wealth. He then urges us not to worry about daily needs like food, clothing, or tomorrow’s problems, because God knows our needs and provides for His people. The command is to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will fall into place.Luke 11:33-36 parallels the light imagery—no one hides a lamp; instead, they let it shine to give light to others. Jesus again warns about the condition of the eye, encouraging His listeners to make sure their inner life is full of light, not darkness.In Summary:Both passages challenge us to examine what we’re focusing on—because our inner focus determines our outer life. If we’re consumed by worry, money, or shallow pursuits, we’ll live in darkness. But if we’re focused on God, His truth, and trust in His care, we’ll live with purpose, peace, and light that shines for others. 365D 68

Bible discovery 365D 68

Matthew 6:22-34 365D 68.1

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is ^{[g]Clear, or healthy} good, your whole body will be full of light. 365D 68.2

23 But if your eye is ^{[h]Evil, or unhealthy} bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 365D 68.3

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^{[i]Lit., in Aram., riches} mammon. 365D 68.4

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 365D 68.5

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 365D 68.6

27 Which of you by worrying can add one ^{[j]About 18 inches} cubit to his ^[k]height stature? 365D 68.7

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 365D 68.8

29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not ^[l]dressed arrayed like one of these. 365D 68.9

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 365D 68.10

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 365D 68.11

32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 365D 68.12

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 365D 68.13

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 365D 68.14

Luke 11:33-36 365D 68.15

33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 365D 68.16

34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is ^{[i]Clear, or healthy} good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is ^{[j]Evil, or unhealthy} bad, your body also is full of darkness. 365D 68.17

35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 365D 68.18

36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” 365D 68.19