by Grace Hunter

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 NIV


Isn’t it amazing to consider that the God of the universe, the creator of heaven and earth, is concerned with our thought life? Jesus talks about worry in some detail here in Matthew 6. Why do you think He did that? Could it be that when we worry, we show lack of faith in our heavenly Father to provide? Jesus said, “…O you of little faith”,  Matthew 6:30b. 

He calls us out. He proclaims worry to be a lack of faith in our all-powerful God to provide for our needs. There are many places we can look in the Old Testament to see how God has unlimited resources and has provided for His people. 

  • Psalm 50:10,  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. 
  • Exodus 16:4, God gave the Israelites bread from heaven. 
  • I Kings 17:6, Ravens brought food to Elijah during a famine. 

There are many more examples. So because God is sovereign and He owns all the resources needed to supply our need for food and clothing, then why do we worry?

Perhaps it is because we forget how much He loves us, or we let our circumstances cloud our vision temporarily. Perhaps it is because we see many people in the world who do not have enough to eat, or safe water to drink, or clothes to wear, or a safe, warm and dry place to live. What do we do with that knowledge that many need necessities like clean water, enough nourishing food or a better home?

  • In Isaiah 58 true fasting and acceptable behavior for God’s people is described. “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Isaiah 58:7 NIV. 
  • Jesus also addresses the need to help those who need food, water and clothing in Matthew 25:31-46. 
  • Worrying about our needs or other’s needs will not help us or anyone else. Instead, we need to do as Peter says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” I Peter 5:7 NIV. 

Pray about it, give the worry to God, and leave it there. Then seek ways to share generously with those who have less than we have. Remember the God we serve; He has an abundance of resources, even if ours are limited. Even so, those of us who live in the western world all have money, time, talents and resources we can share with those around us who are in need.

Listen to this song “Hands of the Healer” by Brandon Heath who sings about leaving the worry with God, letting Him provide the answers, the solution, and the provision.  

 

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