Matthew 6:25-34 ~ Sufficient for the day

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In one of Herman Wouk’s books, about Israel’s 6 Day War, the book’s hero is captivated by the size of the Mississippi River. He cannot get over the Jordan River is so known throughout the world for the holiness of being in Israel, but the Mississippi River has such force behind it. The sheer size of a cross continent flight in America is overwhelming to him. It created an awareness in me of God’s plan being so much larger than any of our plans. Another book, Lantern on the Levy, by William Percy sort of combines that thought. William Percy tells about the force of the Mississippi exceeding its boundaries & the lack of communication endless force creates. It created an analogy, for me, I think about & speak about a lot.

Life is a lot like being in the Mississippi River, 
we are pushed by tremendous forces we cannot see or control. We have eddies and resting places, we convince ourselves that now we in control. We have life in our own boundaries. But the people we love - move, they age, they change - we change. The things, the places, the people we love are not within our grasp, our vision… forever. It isn’t all sadness! There is more to come.

Eternity begins today. 
Our life - the way we behaved, the choices we made, are building the life we will be remembered for. Life is temporary - eternity is not.

Jesus was telling us about temporary when He spoke of new wine not being put in old wine skins.

New wine - being changed by Jesus, seeing our lives as a gift from God and for God, not just another salmon swimming upstream without hope and going through the daily work. Old wine - what is valued, mellowed, cherished. What is Jesus telling us? We cannot change, cannot save ourselves. We cannot do it ourselves. With God all things are possible. Every day, we take our old wine - the things we value, the things the world expects, old hurts, the things that concern us. And we put them before God - the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Then we see the blessings and we thank Him.





Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. ~Edwin Keith

As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools.

Prayer is the coin paid to Gratitude. ~Jessi Lane Adams

It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice. ~Matthew Henry

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us. ~Socrates

Be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your answers. ~William Culbertson

When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get in touch with Reality. ~Oswald Chambers

Deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie - I found that out. ~Mark Twain

And help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray. ~John Keble

It is of course possible to dance a prayer. ~Terri Guillemets

God can pick sense out of a confused prayer. ~Richard Sibbes

What we usually pray to God is not that His will be done, but that He approves ours.
~Helga Bergold Gross


Philippians 4:6-8 ~ (English Standard Version)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

God did not ask us to fear, beyond initially, understanding something as powerful as this:

Colossians 1:16-17
For by Him all things were created,
both in the heavens and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

When we understand how vast God is - there is a dawning of understand of Power and fear is present.

We all have a fear of dying and death. The unbelievable day I was 30 and sitting with my 22 year old brother. We just didn't speak. We both just looked down the street. My brother finally spoke and said, "You always wonder where you will be in life when your dad dies. If you will have children, own a home. Will it take a long time to die. Will you be old yourself. And today is that day. I never thought I'd be 22 years old. And for the rest of my life this day will live with me. He never saw me get married or have children. He isn't coming back. This is the day my dad died."

The God of Love ~ calls us forth ~ to do this:

2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

God does not call us to fear but have a Spirit
with power
and of love
of calm
and discipline
and self-control.

When the Europeans first heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ probably only the last Chapter of Mark 16 in it's entirety was read - people hoped. I once read of a conversion long ago of only half of one statement  - 
"God so loved the world, He gave
His only begotten Son."

The soul heard - "God gave" and was saved. Can you imagine we take Jesus so for granted while this soul, long ago, was saved by the mere idea of God 'giving.' The ideal God calls us to be is peaceful . This is not a responsibility that makes us quake - that we should never have the emotion fear. 

This is amazing - God aspires for us to have His Holy Spirit - believing God - who He is. God is true. God is reliable.



Father God in Grace and peace to You, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank God forbrothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith our faith is growing more and more, then love increases. We are in perseverance and faith during trials, in Your Strength.

You God judgment rightly, and as a result of Your Grace You count us worthy of Your Kingdom. God, You are just we believed Your testimony.

We constantly thank You for Psalm 139 - Your thoughts are constantly for us. For you, our God, make us worthy of Your calling, and by Your power fruition to Your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this Grace for our loved ones, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified. We continue to pray for unborn Jackson Yancy and expect the Goodness of God our Father. Amen

  Jesus Christ Our LORD

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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