Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
762 words, 4 minutes read time

Don’t Worry

Scripture: Matthew 6:28-34; Luke 12:30, 32

In the previous lesson Jesus instructed us to not be anxious about life but to trust God to provide for our needs. In this lesson, we will continue that study of not being anxious by turning to a passage in Matthew 6.

^{Mt 6:28} “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

 In the Luke 12 passage, covered in the previous lesson, Jesus spoke about not being anxious about your life in respect to what you eat and what you put on. In the text before us, Jesus speaks about the clothing we desire and compares those garments with the lilies of the field.

Consider the lilies of the field and watch them grow. You will notice that they neither toil or spin (effort and activity to make cloths), yet day and night they grow and produce greater beauty than the most splendid monarchs of the east were adorned with. As the lily grows it expands its blossom and fills the air with fragrance but for only a short time and it fades away to be cut down and burned. If God will give such attention to a short-lived plant and create such beauty and fragrance for it, will he not much more clothe us? How much greater value we have as his children, endowed with eternal life, than the lily of the field that will soon perish; will God not provide that which is needed for us? Surely, we should trust God who cloths the lily of the valley with such splendor. Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these lilies.

^{Mt 6:31} “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ^{Lk 12:30} For all the nations of the world, ^{Mt 6:32} 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.”

Jesus continues to stress the point that we are not to be anxious over what we shall eat or what we shall drink or what we shall wear like the unsaved (the people of the world, the Gentiles) because our heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide them all if a condition is met. We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The context suggest that “seek” points to the “seeking” of prayer rather than the act of doing because it is God who brings us into his kingdom and who cloths us with his righteousness. It is all provided by grace through faith and so is the result of our prayer. As a family relationship is established with God our Father and we as his children, he will out of a wonderful love for us, provide for all our needs.

Mt 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Lk 12:32 Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Having sought our place in God’s kingdom by grace through faith, we need not be anxious for tomorrow because as God takes care of us today, he will also care for us tomorrow. In this fallen world, each day has enough trouble for us to cope with. Trying to add in what might happen tomorrow provides overload and stimulates anxiety. If it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom then surely, he will provide for our daily need.

Conclusion

Whenever worry shows up and we feel anxious over something, Paul directs us to Philippians 4:6 – 7 ESV: ⁶ “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”