REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was first posted on June 7, 2014. He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Are You Worried?”
Matthew 6:25-33
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [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? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For 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.
“Worry is not believing God will get it right” – Tim Keller
When my oldest daughter was younger, she would have this fear around Christmas time that she would not get any presents. Her greatest worry was that she was not “good enough,” and because of her naughty behavior throughout the year, there would be no presents for her. Seems kind of silly, but as followers of Christ, I do not think we are much different when it comes to worry and anxiety.
Worry can be one of the greatest hindrances when it comes to our faith in Christ. The root of our anxieties is this: “How much do we trust in who God says He is?” Life’s pressures invite us to worry incessantly about tomorrow. Yet Christ says divine providence makes this anxiety foolish. Birds do not worry; they sing, and still they find food each day without sowing or reaping. We, as God’s children, have more worth than they, and can be all the more confident that He will provide for us as well. “The lilies of the field” neither toil nor spin. Their life and worth is so limited that they are fuel for our fires, yet their glory is far greater than Solomon’s glory. Since the Father provides for these, He also will provide for us, His children. Far from compounding our anxiety, making God’s kingdom the center of our lives frees us from anxiety. If we seek this kingdom first, He will meet all our needs (v. 33). We need not worry about tomorrow, for God always takes care of His own.
What area of your life is God asking you not to worry about? Make a commitment to set your heart on His kingdom and righteousness, and trust that He would provide for your needs in His time. Amen.
Prayer: Dear God, remind me to fix my eyes on You and trust You wholeheartedly. Fill me with Your Spirit in order that I may live by God’s power. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 18-19