Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 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. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Jesus begins His seminar on stress by saying, “Do not worry about your life!
Why should we not worry about life? Because God is our Father. He created us. He has given us everything we’ll ever need. He takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, and He will take care of you.
Our lives are driven by clocks and calendars. We work in office buildings that are ulcer alleys. We drive in traffic jams that would make Job curse. Our cities have become asphalt jungles dominated by savages. Our homes are protected from those savages with burglar bars and alarms, deadbolts, and Dobermans. Many homeowners keep guns that are cocked and loaded.
This is a stressed-out society. We are filled with worry, anxiety, and tension. It is the disease of the age.
Much of our stress we create ourselves. Mothers create stress when they worry about their children—what they’re doing, what they’re not doing, what they’re learning, what they’re not learning. There’s not one marriage that’s not suffering from some degree of stress. There are businessmen living on the naked edge because stress has you by the throat. You’ve done everything you know to do in order to survive, yet your business is falling through your hands like fine sand.
The word of God is the manufacturer’s manual for your heart, soul, mind, and body. If you live according to its principles, there is never a reason for your life, your marriage, or your business to be dominated by stress. Today, tomorrow and forever, He has the answer. Before you ever knew you had the need, God made the provision. He is the answer for your life, and He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Daily Living
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