“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”–Matthew 6:31–34
In one of the early Peanuts cartoons, a little girl named Marcie says, “Don’t worry about the world ending tomorrow. It’s already tomorrow in Australia!” The truth is that many people are worried about the future. And certainly there is much uncertainty and danger in our world. There are plenty of things that could go wrong. Yet Jesus tells His followers not to worry. The future will have troubles, but God will still be there.
Too many times we act as though God is taken by surprise by the things that befall us. While the events of life may catch us off guard, nothing ever causes God to revise His plans. He already knows not only what will happen, but also how we will respond. The world may worry about the future, but God’s children should not. Instead, we should trust that as we seek His Kingdom as our priority in life, He will provide for our needs and guide our path.
The command against worry is not a promise that nothing will ever go wrong. In fact, Jesus tells us that the coming day will have “sufficient” trouble—a word that indicates a full supply. The cure for worry is not that everything will go the way we would prefer, but that we remember God will be in control. Corrie ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” (Daily in the Word)
