Do Not Worry / David Jeremiah

 

Do Not Worry 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? Matthew 6:25 The theme of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 is sometimes misunderstood. The theme is not, “God will provide everything you need according to your timetable”; the theme is, “Do not worry” (verses 25, 31, 34). Why would He exhort us not to worry if there would never be an occasion (temptation) to worry—a time when our needs seemed not to be met?

Recommended Reading: Philippians 4: 19

God made similar promises of provision to His covenant people, Israel (Deuteronomy 15:4-6). But at the same time, He said, “For the poor will never cease from the land” (verse 11). How could there be poor in the midst of promises of plenty? Because we live in a fallen world; things happen; crops fail. In such cases, the Israelites were to meet the needs of their poor brethren (verses 7-10), just as the Church would later do (Acts 4:32-37). God’s provision comes in many ways. Jesus said, in essence, “Don’t worry. Trust in God. Seek Him and He will care for you” (Matthew 6:33-34). Our behavior in times of need, difficulty and of crisis really proclaims what we are. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones