Therefore Do Not Worry About Tomorrow

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them; Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour of his life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ 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 Hs 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.”

There is much for me to worry about these days. Fear wells up inside me and I indeed worry about tomorrow. I know other young people who are currently battling cancer or have battled it and I am sure worry and fear have risen up in the pits of their stomachs as they have in mine.

But Jesus tells us in the Matthew passage not to worry about tomorrow. I marvel at this because Jesus knew tomorrow, Jesus knew His future included the cup of the wrath of God being poured out on Him at the Cross. Jesus knew that He would be separated from God the Father and the Holy Spirit for the first time in infinity when He breathed His last on Calvary. How could Jesus, who knew the agony ahead, tell us not to worry about tomorrow? When He knew what eventual tomorrow would bring to Himself?

Sometimes on this journey God breaks down the phrase, “do not worry about tomorrow” to “do not worry about the next moment.” It seems impossible for me to not worry about the next seizure, the next symptom, the next step. Other times, it is the most difficult task no to worry about the far-off tomorrow. Will I be able to work again? Will these seizures diminish? Will I be around to watch my daughter grow into a woman? Just writing these questions causes worry in my heart.

And so, our great Lord has brought this verse to me time and time again. ‘Elizabeth, do not worry about the next second, hour, tomorrow.’ This word from Him often is followed by a reminder that He is sovereign Lord overall, and He is good.

In the preceding verses in Matthew 6, Jesus speaks about how the Lord provides food for the birds of the air and beautiful attire for the lilies of the field. He says, “If this is how God cares for birds and flowers, will He not take care of you, Are you not of much more value than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” The Lord is indeed both sovereign and good.

And so, when the worry rises, when the fear takes hold, I am learning to open my hands and heart and give these worries and fears to the God of the universe.

The other evening, when I could not sleep, as I cannot now, I was drawn to Psalm 31. In the Psalm, David laments, he cries out to the Father: “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in Your hands.” (Psalm 31:14-15)

Jesus knew the tomorrow of pain and sacrifice, but He also knew the tomorrow of the resurrection, “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. When He would rise, the Victor over death and the payment for our sins. And with this blessed knowledge planted in my heart through faith and true power of the Holy Spirit, I will not worry about tomorrow. And so, I rest, as I imagine Jesus did in the knowledge that my times are in God’s hands. Every moment, second, tomorrow, year; every step is in His precious, perfect, sovereign and good hands.

Epiblogue (that’s an epilogue in blog format)
I wrote this blog about two weeks ago. Since that time I have been to the emergency room twice, once for an allergic reaction to a seizure medication and the other for dehydration. I have stopped taking one of my seizure medications which led to six seizures in the past eight days. I have a constant pre-seizure like feeling in my right arm which sometimes shoots down my right leg. I have contracted pink eye. Generally, I feel bombarded with more worry rather than less. It is difficult for me to post this blog without being brutally honest, that worry and fear hedge me in on every side. I am exhausted with these feelings and most of the words that come from my lips or arise in my thoughts are prayers. This seems like a dark season within a dark season. But God reminds me that He is the Maker – He made the sun, moon, stars and He made me. He knows the inner workings of the grey matter in my head and the inner workings of my soul and spirit. And He is good and sovereign Lord of all.

Honestly,
EJB