Ephesians 5:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

A part of walking wisely in life is knowing the benefits and blessings of being a child of God.  While we should all know what those benefits are, sometimes, when we are hit in the face by real life, we forget.  This is especially true with the necessities of life.  We allow ourselves to become overly anxious about how we will survive because we forget that God will provide for us.  Solomon reminds us that…

Proverbs 10:3 (ESV)
³  The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

We first need to know who the righteous are.  In this dispensation (the dispensation of Christ), the righteous are those who obey the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).  When a person obeys the gospel, righteousness (justification) is imputed to them by faith (Romans 5:1).  At that time, their sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18, 19; Revelation 1:5) and they are acquitted by the God of heaven.

Obeying the gospel is not the only thing that is required to be numbered among the righteous.  Living right is also a part of it.

1 John 3:7 (ESV)
⁷  Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

In John’s day, just like today, some claimed that being righteous had nothing to do with living righteously.  It was a devil’s lie then, and it continues to be so today.  If anyone tells you that the way you live does not have anything to do with being right with God, just as long as you believe in Jesus, you should know that they are lying to you. The righteous are those who practice righteousness.  According to John, there is no exception to this truth.

Okay, now we know who the righteous are.  What did Solomon say about them?  God does not let them go hungry.  This means that He will always provide for us, allowing us not to be consumed by anxiety.  When we are full of anxiety, it stops us from having the energy or mindset to serve God properly, and it causes us to make decisions in life out of fear.  Those decisions are usually unwise and just increase the anxiety that is plaguing us in the first place.  It is a vicious cycle.  Why not trust God instead?  If we live righteously, He will take care of our needs.  

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
³³  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The “things” Jesus was referring to in this context were the necessities of life (ver. 25).  Peter believed this to be true.  He said about God, “casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).  When we believe this about God, and that He will provide for our needs, we can avoid being constantly worried and just focus on walking wisely in this world.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.