25 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. 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?
In the Sermon on the Temple Jesus directs these remarks squarely to his disciples. 

I have always loved these verses for the bigger picture message that God will take care of us as we trust in him. As I worried about how I could afford law school without parental support as I contemplated leaving on a mission, these verses provided me with great comfort. I knew God would provide a way.

Yet, there is a danger if we take these verses to an extreme and begin to believe that God will simply give us things without effort or preparation on our part. God wants us to labor diligently over our stewardship. We cannot put off difficult labor and expect that God or others will provide. Such is the pathway to bitterness and disillusionment.

By directing his words to his disciples who are chosen to preach full time, the Savior makes clear that we are to be anxiously engaged in our daily labors. But we are to trust that ultimately God knows all things and will provide.



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