MATTHEW 6:25-34 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
THEME OF THE DAY: OVERCOMING ANXIETY: REMEMBER YOUR GOD. Today’s scripture is the classic portion addressing the sin of anxiety; a sin each of us commits, maybe, on a daily basis, as we fight the pressures of the world, the whispers of the devil, and the workings of our own conscience and emotions. Jesus addresses compassionately, yet, doesn’t give us a pass when it comes to its severity. He challenges us with two heart-revealing and exposing questions toward our anxiety. First, He points us to God’s care of the birds and then says, “Aren’t you of more value than they? If He provides for birds, then surely He will for you as well.” The next question goes deeper with the “why” question – “Why are you anxious?” and what this question does is expose us to the core cause of anxiety in anything – mistrust of God.
As Jesus looks at us and asks, “Why are you anxious?”, the answer is “We are not trusting God because we have forgotten who He is to us.” Twice in today’s scripture our Lord refers to the God who provides all we need to silence our anxiety is our “Heavenly Father.” Right now, pause and ponder. The Creator of all things – our Heavenly Father. The Sustainer of all things – our Heavenly Father. The Author and Finisher of life – our Heavenly Father. And what are the qualities in our Heavenly Father? They are qualities, if believed and relied upon by faith, that will drive any anxiety far away from our hearts. Here are a few to put to flight anxiety lurking in our hearts . . .
Our God and heavenly Father is love – 1 John 4:8 – Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Our God and heavenly Father is good – Psalm 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Our God and heavenly Father is faithful – Psalm 57:10 – For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
So, if we have such a Heavenly Father as we do – loving, good, and faithful – then we can battle anxiety in the strength of our relationship with Him. And from that position, the question Jesus asks, “Why are you anxious?” may find itself decreasing more and more in our lives!
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for being my God and the source to help me overcome anxiety.”
QUOTE: “Don’t let the emotional pull of anxiety on your heart lead you to spiritual amnesia.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim