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Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by Richard (Dick) Innes of ACTS International. |
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Do Not Worry
"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 than food, and the body more 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?
Can
any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers 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—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."1 With everything happening in the world around us these
days, it is only natural for people to start feeling a sense of worry and
anxiety. Every night the news seems to state that there are more confirmed cases
of the virus, schools remain closed, non-essential businesses have closed, and
we are encouraged to stay home. In addition, going to the grocery store and
seeing empty shelves can be a little concerning, especially when it has been going
on for a couple weeks. We are living in a time where people are acting in panic,
and although a pandemic can bring great uncertainty and worry, we can find
peace in the midst of it. Does this mean we should ignore the precautions our government
has established? Not by any means. Romans 13:1-2 reminds us to be subject to
the governing authorities because God has established them. We are wise to heed
advice for preventive measures, but worry should not dominate us. As Christians we have the certainty that God is
faithful. He will provide all we need according to His will when we seek Him
first. He cares for us and calls us to cast our anxiety (worry) on Him. Let us choose
to trust the One who holds the future and may we actively live out our faith by
being a presence of peace and generosity to others. Suggested prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, during times
of uncertainty I choose to seek you first above all else, knowing that you are
with me and you care for me. You alone are my Rock and I trust in you. Even
when times seem uncertain, you remain our steadfast foundation and hold the
future in your hands. I praise you and thank you. In Jesus' name, amen." 1.
Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV). |
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