A Day at a Time
There is a story about a young lawyer who was called in from the big city to represent a large railroad company that was being sued by a farmer. It seems that the farmer’s prize cow was missing from a field through which the railroad passed, and the farmer was suing for the value of the cow. Before the case was to be tried, the lawyer cornered the farmer and convinced him to settle out of court for half of what he originally wanted. The farmer signed the necessary papers and then accepted the check. The young lawyer could not resist gloating a bit about his success.
He said to the farmer, "You know, I couldn’t have won this case if it had gone to trial. The engineer was asleep and the fireman was off duty when the train passed through your farm that morning. I didn’t have a single witness to put on the stand!" With a wry smile, the old farmer replied, "Well, I tell you the truth young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself because that cow came home this morning."
Now worrying is something we all do: It’s is not good for us. Jesus commands us to not worry. And still most of us struggle with worry. By definition “Worrying is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem.” Here is what worrying does: It leaves many with a sense of impending doom or unrealistic fears - Worrying also gives you more things to worry about - It makes us ultra-sensitive to the criticism of others.
A LARGE percentage of our illnesses are related to worry, anxiety and stress. 38% of all deaths are heart related and many of those are related to hypertension, high blood pressure and anxiety. Worry has been linked to cancer, lung ailments, cirrhosis, gastrointestinal illness and suicide. A huge proportion of visits to doctors are stress-related complaints or disorders. Question- If we know that worry is a killer- then why do we do it?
Matthew 6:27 asks the rhetorical question: “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
The obvious answer is two fold: Worry can’t add to your life, But worry will subtract from your life both health and joy. Now there's no shortage of things to worry about: Is the coronavirus going away or getting worse. Will the economy come back to life? How long will the recession last? That’s not to mention personal problems like Health, relationships, financial hardships, wrecked relationships and regret.
So Jesus tells us simply “DO NOT WORRY” “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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?” Matthew 6:25 We all need to hear the message “STOP WORRYING” We all have needs and God knows our needs
now what we usually “Freak out” about are our “Wants”
1 Timothy 6:6 teaches us that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” JESUS SAYS DON’T WORRY about having enough food or clothing: We all have needs, put your FAITH in God. Not in your stockpile of food and clothing. Remember: You can relax knowing God sees your trouble and will carry you through.
Many of us want NOW all we will need LATER. We want God to act on our time table, But that is not how God works. God provides on time and a lot of time “Just in the nick of time”
This reminds me of the lesson God taught Israel as they wandered in the wilderness:
Every day God provided Manna for the people to eat. Every day they were to collect ONLY what they needed for that day. God provided for them 1 day at a time and they never missed a meal! God never failed them and He will never fail us!
The Cross of Jesus reminds me of God’s provision: What we need most is not physical but spiritual. God provided for our SOULS, we can trust Him with our BODIES. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32
Jesus said, “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? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:26–27. God doesn’t overlook a thing: daily feeding billions of little birds, Jesus says you are more valuable than the birds, The conclusion is that since God feeds the birds, He will feed you! Even children know that Jesus loves them... “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 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?” Matthew 6:28–30
God created the whole world and sustains it, He can handle your clothes and lunch. He provides for the birds. Makes beautiful flowers grass. The danger is not that God will forget about our needs, but that we will forget about our need for God. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31–33
But seek first the kingdom of God. Again the text says “do not worry”: That is what the pagans do. And you are not a pagan! You are a child of God. And God has promised to provide for your needs…. It is amazing how we can focus on things that don’t matter and neglect the most important things in life. We need to learn how to choose our battles better.
Leonard Ravenhill said it best: "Many of us are hunting MICE...while LIONS are devouring the land!" We can’t be busy working for the Lord if we doubt God’s provision: The old saying is that “Where God guides God provides is true”
God has a lot of things He wants us to do, and worry is NOT one of them. Our priority needs to be, not on our physical needs: But on the Kingdom of God, On God’s righteousness. Let’s review: Do not worry, trust God, seek His Kingdom, God is trustworthy, You are loved. When trouble comes and it will, run to JESUS and don’t ever leave! Matthew 11:28-30 invites us to leave worry behind… “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If you are carrying a heavy load, and are worried to death…. God never intended that for you. Set down that WEIGHT. It’s time to put your CONFIDENCE in God’s ability to provide what you NEED
Don’t go looking for trouble, each day has plenty of it’s own trouble. Matthew 6:34 says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” so our Lord’s spiritual advice is to take one day at a time. If we have worries we should take it to the Lord in prayer. Maybe your prayer should be something like this. “Lord you know my problem, this is my worry and struggle and right now I turn that over to you. You are good and worthy, you can handle this situation. I turn it over to you NOW.”
The only way to TRULY be able to leave worry behind: Is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Jesus there is no PEACE on Earth. After the crucifixion: Jesus’ disciples were frightened and worried. Jesus had died, His tomb was empty. What did the future hold? They were scared for the lives. “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19
When Jesus is with you, there will be PEACE….I didn’t say there won’t be storms. What I am saying is that there will be peace in the storm. Do you have the PEACE of Jesus that is beyond understanding? We worry about all sorts of things, but our biggest problem is SIN and Jesus has solved that problem through the cross.