Luke 12:22-32 – “And He said to His disciples, ” For this reason, I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!  25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?  26 “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?  27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  28 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!  29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.  30 “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.  31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.  32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  NASB

Recently I had a conversation with a person that I care about deeply, and they were struggling with the condition of things in government, the state of the economy, and the future.  They were wringing their hands and lamenting that the future was so dim and dismal that they were despairing of life.  This person is a Christian, albeit, at that moment, their faith was in another dimension, not on the promises of our Lord.

I shared with them this passage, which they were very familiar with, and said, “This is why I refuse to worry about life.”   You see here, in simple language, our Lord Jesus said, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE.”  Do not fret over what you are going to eat, drink, or wear, and in the context of that truth, where you will live. 

He reminded us of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and the fact that God cares for them the way He does.  He also cautioned against worry, saying that we cannot add even one hour to our lifespan through worry.  We now know through medical science that we can shorten our lifespan by it.  Jesus told us in the familiar verse 33 what we are “not to seek” and what we “are to seek.”  He then concluded the statement by saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  In that Kingdom, there is the King and with the King are all the resources that we could ever need.

If I worry about life, I am not placing my faith and confidence in God.  I am not suggesting that we make no preparation for our latter years or that we nonchalantly go through our days with no labor or effort to earn a living.  I contend that would be Presumptuous!  I am saying that once we have done all we know to do, then we Trust and Rest in the Promises of God and take Him at His word. 

He said Do Not Worry!  I believe He meant what He said, so I have chosen to refuse to worry!  I believe, as David declared, “I was young, now I am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.”  God has promised to take care of us, and He will.

May God be with you as you go through your day!