Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry…”

While walking through a shopping mall one sunny summer’s day, I heard my car registration being called out over the Tannoy. Would the owner of such and such car please report to security! Immediately my heart sank. Right away I had a vision of the front end of my shiny new car being smashed in by some careless driver who reversed into it. Gaining some composure, I approached a security man. “Excuse me,” I said, I’m the car owner you’re looking for.” Imagine my relief and embarrassment when he said, “Some shopper parked beside you and noticed that you had left your window fully open. Can’t be too careful Sir.”  Funny, isn’t it? How easy it is to jump to a negative conclusion about something we know nothing about. How pessimistic we become when our imagination runs riot. That late night knock on your door. The 2:00am phone call. The unexpected brown envelope from the tax man. Suddenly our minds go into overdrive, and we get that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach.  Happily, there is a cure for such unnecessary anxiety.

One man told the late preacher, D.L.Moody, he had found a great verse in the Bible. “It’s the perfect prescription for fear,” he said.  So, he quoted the Psalmist who said, “Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3) Moody replied, I can go one better than that. Isaiah said in Ch.12:2 “I will trust and not be afraid.”  It may take a while to get from, ‘when I am afraid I will trust’ to ‘I will trust and not be afraid’ But the more we put our trust in Him the sooner we will arrive there.

Jesus, in His great Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34 tells us four times not to worry about anything. Neither the food we eat or the clothes we wear. He goes on to say, “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 more value than they?” If you’re worried sick about something, try some of these Gos-pills. The Great Physician says, “Take no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient for today is its own evils.” Or how about, “Which of you being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?”

As I haven’t quite mastered it myself. I’m taking the pills daily.  ‘Worry is putting a question mark where God has put a full stop.’ - J. D. Rice ‘Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles.’ - E. Stanley Jones.

Remember the Bible also says in (Phil 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.”

- Pastor David Goudy