He Provides: Matthew 6:25-34

It was brought to my attention yesterday that I worry a lot.

I do.

Right now, I'm worrying about studying for finals, the grades I'll get for said finals, money, where my fiance' and I are going to live in less than six months when we (finally) get married, getting everything done before I go home, etc.  I'm going to miss my honey for a week till he comes to my house.  And there are so many other things that I'm thinking and fretting and wondering about.

Jesus says in Matthew 6, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  (6:31-34)  Earlier in the passage, Jesus summed it all up: "Do not worry about your life."  He made the point that worrying really does nothing to help us: it's pointless and it doesn't do any good.  Instead, we can trust that God knows what we need and will provide it.

Psalm 111 talks about how God provides our most basic needs: "He provides food for those who fear him" (verse 5), and "He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever--holy and awesome is his name" (verse 9)!  God has provided redemption: what else do we really need?  Paul also speaks of this in Romans chapter 5, verse 17: "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

On the last page of Philippians in my Bible, I wrote, some time ago, "Earthly things just don't matter when I have Christ."  I'm going to rephrase that a bit: "When I have Christ I don't have to worry about anything."

I am a saved, forgiven, loved child of God.  That's what matters.

Today, I'm going to focus on God, instead of myself, and in focusing on what really matters, stop worrying about the things that don't.