Jesus said, “Do not worry” Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus said, “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? 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? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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.” 

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek” (In that time gentiles were those who did not believe in God – a people that had no faith). “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” In just ten short verses Jesus tells us not to worry five times! Is that starting to sink in yet?

Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34

A few decades ago in 1988 Bobby McFerrin wrote and sang a chart topping song that said, “Here’s a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note,

‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy'”.

We either spend so much time worrying about tomorrow, or reflecting on our triumphs or our disappointments from years past, that we forget to live today. Take Jesus advice and don’t worry so much about tomorrow. Instead, put your trust in God.

Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

My wife and I were sitting at a downtown stoplight the other day when a mother pushing a stroller took the crosswalk in front of our car. The stroller was empty, for the passenger, a little girl, had decided she’d had enough of sitting and chose to walk beside her mother instead. As they passed the young girl locked eyes with us when suddenly a huge smile beamed forth, along with a big wave of her hand. We smiled and both waved back. That’s when the little girl’s smile doubled in size and her wave became more intense. She had discovered willing participants to engage with her in her smile and wave agenda. We laughed and matched her enthusiasm, cheering her on.

A Child’s Joy For Life Is Matchless

Jesus knew just what He was talking about when He said we should become as children. Children possess an innocence and a joy for the simple pleasures of life that we seem to lose as we age. They have the ability to hope, and trust, and love, and have faith in extraordinary measure. This is precisely what Jesus asks of you today. To have hope, and trust, and love, and faith in Him in extraordinary measure. I guarantee that when you do, your life will never be the same.

“For the joy set before Him (Jesus), He endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

Do we bring joy to Jesus? Is that possible? You might be tempted to say, “maybe that’s only possible for some do-gooder”. Then again, you would be wrong. You literally bring joy to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 says, “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” What is the “joy” set before Jesus? That joy is you, that joy is me.

We Are The Joy of Jesus!

With the simple act of living, you bring joy to Jesus. To him, you are worth it! “But what about all the times I screw up”, you might say. Why do you think He endured the cross? Because His joy over you is so profound that He was willing to pay for the screwups himself. Put a smile on your face today. Jesus has one while looking at you.

“Thy will be done” Matthew 6:10

Jesus asked the blind man in Mark 10:51, “what can I do for you?” Jesus did not assume what the blind man’s choice would be, so He asked him. The blind man did ask for sight, which Jesus restored. But I was thinking, what if the blind man had said to Jesus,

Whatever You Desire, Lord.

Can you imagine what such surrender might have led to for the blind man? We look at the miracle of sight restored, which is truly wonderful, but what greater blessings might have been in store for the blind man? So often we focus on our specific needs of the day, and do not look at the greater picture of what’s possible. The ultimate gift that we can give to ourselves is the exact same gift that we can give to God; our surrendered will. Lord God, let Thy will be done.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” 1 Corinthians 13:12

One hundred twenty years ago man could not conceive of what it would be like to fly. Fifty years ago the “internet” was a completely foreign concept in society. Thirty years ago we were trying to figure out the idea of a “smart phone”. Ten years ago self driving cars were unimaginable. Just think what may come tomorrow. At any point in time we have a very limited view of what tomorrow will bring. And yet,

God Knows Your Tomorrow.

As 1 Corinthians says, we can see only a fraction of God and His great plan. Just as a child fails to understand the complexities of our world, so we as adults fail to grasp the grand purpose God has in-store. God promises that someday all will be known. Until that day, take comfort that God has an amazing plan for you. Childlike faith is all you need.     

“Where is the wise?…Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” 1 Corinthians 1:20

Ask the average person for the definition of foolishness vs. wisdom and they might be tempted to say, “take a drive down the local freeway where both are on full display.” In reality, our foolishness come from just not knowing what we do not know. We can’t read minds. We don’t fully understand the true motivation of another’s heart. In other words, we really walk through life with blinders on. Understanding this is the first step to attaining wisdom.

A Wise Person Will Turn To Someone With All The Answers.

We stop playing the fool when we look to God and say, “Thy will be done, Lord”.

“My cup runs over” Psalm 23:4

From the moment we are born we are the recipients of a constant stream of information. Some is more than welcome and others we could do without. Indeed, our cup does run over with our life experiences, both good and bad. When King David says in Psalm 23 that his cup runs over, what is he referring to?

David’s Cup Is Flooded With God’s Love.

David is saying that his cup, his life, have literally been dropped it into a very large pool of God’s love. So much so that everything that was inside his cup, his hurts, his mistakes, his fears, his doubts, his insecurities have been overcome by everything that God is. Having such a cup overflowing is our choice. Have a little faith today. Prayer has a way of filling cups to overflowing very, very, quickly.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Are you feeling a sense of lack in your life, over anything? God has a promise for you. Jesus said in Matthew 7, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open to you.” The cynic would say, that doesn’t apply to my material and physical life but I take the Bible at face value. The bible says,

“Ask, Seek, Knock And The Door Will Open”.

That’s straightforward enough for me.

“God said, Let there be light, and there was light” Genesis 1:3

Walt Disney once said, “Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a person who knows the secrets of making dreams come true.” You have an incredible capacity to dream for you were created in the image of God,

The Ultimate Dreamer.

For who, other than God, could look at a blank canvas and envision all that we see; the heavens, the waters, the landscape, the animals, and yes, you and I. When scripture tells us that God created us in His image, that also includes giving us the capacity to dream great dreams. The question for you today is, what would you do tomorrow if you knew for a fact that you would succeed? God has the power to craft your dreams into reality. Why not join forces with the Creator of the universe today and dream beyond what you think is possible. God is simply waiting for you to call upon Him.