Matthew Chapter 6
Welcome, LOVED and CHOSEN by God. I hope you had the very best weekend. I did. We had some friends over for a Friendsgiving Saturday. Mind you my home is not that big and we have one bathroom at the moment, but I will tell you this, everyone had a great time. If I had my way we would have people visit every week. Mr. King keeps me grounded in how many events we can have at our house, but I am still cheering and hoping for an Acts 2:46-47 home. I have said for years I want my home to be a safe haven for all who enter. Over the years I believe it has been that place more than it has not. I told someone today that I want people to feel like they can make a cup or a pot of coffee, grab something from the fridge or pantry to eat, and sit on my couch or at my table and have a listening ear and a ready prayer. My heart is to keep my circle open for the new and the old.
I hope that even though I focus on a part of our chapters that you are reading the whole chapter. Ask the LORD for revelation for what He has for you that day. I can go through my Bible and see what stood out to me from one time to the next by what I have underlined. I also have started to read through a section several times to see what keeps getting my attention. If you have several versions of the Word read a couple and compare versions. I usually will have two or three around me. Be wise with which ones you choose. However, my first read through the Bible was the, Good News Bible from I believe the 70s. It was what was in my parents home so I read it.
Matthew 6:25-34 “25 “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? 26 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? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [j]cubit to his [k]stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [l]arrayed like one of these. 30 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?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
First a question, how many times has the thing you worried about come to pass? For me, not many of them. The sad thing is I have spent nights sitting up with my head filled with worry. When my husband had lost his job and we were running three car payments behind for several months in a row, I would sit in my bed listening for the tow truck that never came. I remember worrying about losing our house during the same period and that never happened either.
Over the last two plus years we have been told to worry. We were told every single day to worry and we were told to worry on almost every single platform. If we were’t worried about one thing the news would tell us to worry about something else. For me, in March of 2020, I sat one day and watched the news for the whole day or maybe it was just on every single channel. I remember having an overwhelming fear come over me. Every single “what if” question filled my mind. The next day I inquired of the LORD. I asked Him what should I do. I heard Him clearly tell me, “Do not fear.” I did not worry from that point forward.
When we worry are we negating what the Bible tells us about fear and worry. If we believe what the Word says we know God has numbered our days, not man. If we believe the Word, we know God is our provider, not man. If we believe the Word, we know that God is in charge of every single aspect of our lives, not man. We do not need to worry because, our Creator, the King of ALL kings has every single thing in His control.
Worry and fear go hand and hand. We link arms with the enemy when we walk in either one and let him cause us to doubt what God says. God says,
Do not worry about what we are going to eat. Do not worry about what we are going to wear. Do not worry about tomorrow because today has enough. Fear not, because I am with you. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, goes with you where ever you go.” “Cast ALL your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.”
Those are just a few of His promises to us. Every single promise is for you and me right here and right now. I have heard it said there are 365 references to not fearing which means there is one for every single day.
Every single day we have a choice to engage fear or not. Today, I choose to not. How about you?
