“Therefore do not worry….

 For your heavenly Father knows…

 But seek first the kingdom of God….

Therefore do not worry

about tomorrow, for tomorrow

 will worry about its own things.

Sufficient for the day

is its own trouble.

 (Matthew 6:31–34)

What are you worried about?

If you were honest with me, I have a feeling that most of you could produce a list of things that have you worried

• fears for yourself in the future,
• fears for your family, kids, parents, siblings and more.
• fears for where your church and the church as a whole is going
• fears for where America is heading…

It is likely that you have several things that will fall under most of those headings and more.  Yet, Jesus clearly instructs us to stop that!  He calls us not to worry.

Please don’t take these words and thoughts today as condemnation.  In Christ there is none of that (Rom 8:1), though satan does try it with us daily (Rev 12).   Instead, I would like you to hear these words as encouragement, hope and the desire of Christ to set you free from things that bind you with worry.     

First – Jesus tells us not to worry.

Therefore do not worry….

Though worry if often real in our lives, Jesus tells us in clear words, that are not hard to understand – that He does not want us to worry.  If we are worrying, this is a disobedience and /or rejection of Jesus words and command for us.  He does not want us to worry. 

Second-Jesus reminds us that God cares about us.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  (Matthew 6:31–32)

People who don’t know God and don’t have him as their Father can rightly worry about the future.  But if you are a Christian, God is your heavenly Father and He really does care about you.  He loves you and is concerned about your life, practically.  He knows what you need, and He is now the one that takes care of us.   God cares about you!  There is no need in your life right now that God does not know.

Third – Jesus calls us to focus on heaven!

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

Today, Jesus invites you to think about things that are eternal, to consider the wonders of what He is doing.   He then promises to handle the cares that can so easily block up your heart.  Be freed like a bird from a cage of worries and cares here…to think on things heavenly!

Fourth – Don’t worry about tomorrow.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.   (Matthew 6:34)

This is not the most important of Jesus’ admonitions in this section, yet, likely it might be one of the most practical.   Most of the things we are worried about are not things that will happen today.   We are not that worried about things that might happen before our head touches the pillow tonight.  Most of the things we are worried about are in the future…in the realm of the unknown.  There is great danger her, because the fear of the unknown is so nebulous.  Fear can so easily get a grip on a heart when it comes to the future, because there is so much we don’t know.   Yet, Jesus commands us to stop that.  He calls us to have a focus that is on today – letting Him handle the weight of what is coming tomorrow.  We see this echoed in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray:

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Like the manna God provided for the children of Israel in the Old Testament – God promises to meet our needs on a daily basis.  Yesterday’s manna is not meant for today – nor could you keep it in reserve.  Each day – you had to seek that days supply from God.  What a powerful picture of how God wants to meet you today.

Perhaps you have heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom.  As a girl, she began worrying about things in the future, whether she could handle persecution or trouble.  Her dad asked her a question.: When he sent her to the store to buy bread, when did he give her the money for that?  She thought and said that right before she left, when she needed it.  He pointed out that God is just like that – He gives us what we need, when we need it.    When we think about the future, we can so easily look at what we have to handle that situation, emotionally, spiritually, practically today for tomorrows cares.  Yet God promises to give us what we need, not two weeks, two months, or two years in advance – but to give us “our daily bread” as we need it.  So Christian – leave tomorrow in His faithful hands!

Christian…. I invite you to a worry free life.  It is what is possible in the Lord and it is what He has for you! 

“Therefore do not worry….

 For your heavenly Father knows…

 But seek first the kingdom of God….

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 (Matthew 6:31–34)

Jim