Book of Matthew: Morning Moments with God, Day 23

Day 23: Do Not Worry

Please read the Bible verse for today:

Matthew 6:25-34

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “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? ²⁶ 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? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27)

I remember the very first time I read this Scripture. I had just graduated high school and was working the summer as a receptionist for a law firm. Much of the time I had nothing to do so I read and read the Bible all day. I remember when I read the title alone, "Do Not Worry," I thought, "HOW is that at all possible?" My whole life was made up of worrying. At that moment I was worrying and working and hoping to save enough money so I could pay for college in the fall. I always worried. I always wondered, "what if?" I always asked myself, "How can I?" or "Will this work?" I had been babysitting from the time I was eleven years old, and from then on worked at any job that I could find. I had many responsibilities starting at a young age and I always worried about one thing or another. I remember even thinking, after I read the words,'do not worry, how I couldn't remember one adult ever saying those words to me, but here Jesus simply states, "Do not worry."  I read the following verses anxiously and quickly. I never realized that God cared about things like food, and clothes. I was worried about much more than food and clothes, but I thought, 'If God cares about those things then He cares about so much more.'

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ 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? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:28-34)

I remember reading these words through the first time, and then again and again the rest of the day. My heart was comforted. My heart found rest and peace. All I had to do was, "...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. " (Matthew 6;33) To seek God and rest in His guidance was all that was being asked of me and God would take care of the rest. I believed then as I do now, that God will speak to me and guide me. I am not saying I have arrived at 'not worrying,' because I fail so much of the time, but in my heart the Lord knows I want to rest in Him. He reminds me to let go, pretty much, every day. I trust Him to remind me because I do not even realize how often I worry, but He is gentle and turns my eyes on Him and not the cares of this world, time and time again.

Pray with me:
Lord, thank you for telling me not to worry. Thank you for having a plan that is good and one that I can trust. Thank you for caring enough about me that I can rest in you. Help me Lord, to trust you more. Help me to not worry. Forgive me for my lack of trust. I worry about so many things and am being reminded again to let it all go. I trust you God to lead me, help me to follow. I love you with all my heart and desire to seek your kingdom above all else. In Jesus' name, Amen.