26 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? 27 And which
of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:26-28 (ESV)
I felt my heart rate accelerate. My jaw clenched. My muscles tightened. My body and mind were suddenly on alert: Stressful situation approaching!
My husband and I were discussing our finances in view of the sudden upheaval in the world's economy. I'd tried to ignore graphs of the stock market jumping up and down like a kid on a trampoline. But as my husband and I talked, my heart rate was bouncing up, too.
The world is in a crisis unlike any I've experienced. We don't know what the future holds. What if we make the wrong decision?
I felt my heart rate accelerate. My jaw clenched. My muscles tightened. My body and mind were suddenly on alert: Stressful situation approaching!
My husband and I were discussing our finances in view of the sudden upheaval in the world's economy. I'd tried to ignore graphs of the stock market jumping up and down like a kid on a trampoline. But as my husband and I talked, my heart rate was bouncing up, too.
The world is in a crisis unlike any I've experienced. We don't know what the future holds. What if we make the wrong decision?
If I let my imagination run wild, I could envision us in a Depression Era scene, empty bowls in hand, shuffling in line to get our daily ration at a soup kitchen.
Then I had to take a deep breath and remember where our hope is anchored. It's not in our bank accounts, our jobs, or the economy. Our hope is in God ... the very same God who's provided for us through past upheavals, recessions, and natural disasters.
In Matthew Chapter 6 we read Jesus's wonderful illustration of how God cares for the lilies and the birds. It's important to note this comes right after Jesus says not to lay up treasures on earth and that we can't serve both God and money. Jesus tells us to focus on the important things; God will provide for our needs.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
After those lovely, reassuring words about taking care of the lilies and the birds, Jesus says this:
34 “Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 (ESV)
“Each day has enough trouble of its own” That’s a discouraging
statement. I looked it up in the Greek,
and it sounded even worse. Trouble is “kakia,” which is also translated “evil,”
“malice,” or “wickedness.” So much for
my vision of lilies blooming and birds singing.
But then, life isn’t always birds and flowers, is it?
Many people are now in the middle of painful, desperate situations. But we don’t
need to compound our difficulties by worrying about tomorrow.
The Living Bible paraphrases the words of Jesus this way:
“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of
your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. “Matthew 6:34
(TLB)
God will give believers the strength to endure whatever
comes our way today. Live one day at a time.
One of my heroes of faith is Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch
Christian whose family hid Jews in their home during WWII. She and her family
were eventually arrested, and Corrie and her sister were sent to a
concentration camp. Corrie survived and wrote of her experience in a book
called The Hiding Place. In the book, she recounts an incident from her
childhood when she was afraid that her father would die.
“Father sat down on the edge of the
narrow bed. "Corrie," he began gently, "when you and I go to
Amsterdam-when do I give you your ticket?"
I sniffed a few times, considering this.
"Why, just before we get on the train."
"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need-just in time.” Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place
I sniffed a few times, considering this.
"Why, just before we get on the train."
"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need-just in time.” Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place
It's been years since I read the book, but I’ve never
forgotten that story. When tomorrow comes, God will give us grace for tomorrow’s
trials, but not before.
In the meantime, we make the best decisions with the
information we have today, but we don’t fret. We can take our nervous energy
and redirect it into positive things, like seeking God and doing our part to
advance His kingdom.
Writing that letter. Making that phone call. Saying
those kind words. Helping where we can. Being faithful to do the work God’s given
us.
What about you? Instead of worrying about tomorrow,
what can you do today to draw closer to God?
Look at your sphere of influence. What can you do
today to make a difference?
I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I know God’s
in control. And I know I have today.
