Devotion August 2017 - LPNI

    One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in Matthew, chapter six, where Jesus says:

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 important than food, and the body more important 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 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies 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, O 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. Matthew 6:25-33 (NIV)

    These verses follow immediately after Jesus has said:

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:19-21, 24 (NIV)

   What causes us worry?  It might be fear of not being able to pay our bills.  It might be over health issues.  It might be strained relationships with others.  I believe we worry because we think we have to fix whatever is causing us worry, and our conclusion is that we don’t know how we can fix our situation.  The bottom line is the reason we worry is because we are putting our trust in ourselves.  Jesus’ point in Matthew six is that God is big enough to handle what is beyond our ability, and if we put our trust in God our reason for worry is eliminated.

   The Apostle Peter makes the same point in his first letter where he wrote to first century believers who probably had much more reason for worry than we do when he wrote:

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)

    By “humble” Peter meant to trust God.  This is the key to ridding ourselves of worry.  If we trust God for forgiveness and peace through Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, we should also trust him with our daily lives.

    Rev. Dr. Steven Simon, Texas, USA