Do not be anxious (2 Kings 7-8; 2 Chr 21; Matt 6)

I love Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34. What peace He offers to a world full of trouble and anxiety. If only we would listen! It’s so easy to get caught up in worry and anxiety. I remember talking to someone who said it was hard to have to learn to stand on their own two feet again at their stage. But what if we are not meant to stand on our own two feet? What if we are actually meant to depend on our heavenly Father every single day?

Jesus tells us to learn from 2 things, (1) the birds of the air and (2) the flowers of field. We have house martins nesting outside our house, I love the speed at which they exit the nest and twist and turn effortlessly. What are they doing? They are enjoying the way God has made them and eating the food God has provided for them. Jesus says “are you not of more value than they?” The answer is yes! So Jesus says, trust God.

In the garden we have some beautiful flowers, I didn’t even plant them! But even if we do, we just put the seeds or tuber in the ground, God does the rest! If God can make a field look beautiful, will He not much more provide for you?

So Jesus says, don’t waste your time worrying, your Heavenly Father knows what you need. What should we do instead? Jesus says “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Spend your time and effort going God’s way, seek to live with Jesus as your King, and to help others into His kingdom.

Jesus ends by telling us not to worry about tomorrow. I find this so helpful, especially as I have a son who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It’s so tempting to worry about tomorrow, to be anxious for the future. But Jesus says, don’t waste your time doing that, trust me for my grace to be sufficient each day. This isn’t to hide your head in the sand, but it is to simply take it one day at a time, knowing God’s grace will be sufficient for each day. We’ve certainly had some tough days, but we have found each time God’s grace is sufficient. So Jesus says, don’t try and stand on your own two feet, lean on Him and trust His sufficient grace.