Recently I’ve allowed myself to worry about life after
college, paying off my loans, taking care of all my own bills, buying a car,
and providing for myself. Even though I was fully aware of Who my God is—that He
is Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord will provide”—and that He is faithful to His Word,
I still allowed myself to worry about the things Jesus says in Matthew 6 only
the Gentiles worry about (vv. 31-32).
This morning as I was giving God all my anxieties in prayer
(1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22), the Lord reminded me of His promise in Matthew 6: “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?” (vv. 26-30).
As I read the whole sixth chapter of Matthew and looked at
these verses in their context, the Lord dissipated my fears and anxieties that
I had allowed to creep into my mind. Over and over again, Jesus speaks of our “Father”
in this chapter of Matthew, conveying the message that I have a “Father” in
Heaven who cares for me and wants me
to ask for Him to meet my needs and then trust Him that He will take care of me (Matthew 6:11, 25, 31-34).
I have discovered that worries about the future not only rob
me of my joy from the Lord but also distract me from the real task at hand—seeking
first the kingdom of God. “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” (Matthew 6:31-33).
Will I consider myself a living sacrifice unto the Lord and give
my life to Him, allowing my time and resources to be spent for Him as I seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness? Will I choose to be broken bread and
poured out wine for my King’s glory? Will I cast all my cares on Him knowing
that He cares for me and will meet all of my needs as He promised?
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