How many of us have ever been guilty of worrying about our needs from one day to the next? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His followers that they did not need to do that. For those of us who love Jesus, we can rest assured that He knows our needs and makes sure that they are met. Read today’s text in Matt 6: 25-34 to see what Jesus had to say about worry.
Do you believe that God can meet all your needs? Do you believe that He will? Our lesson today addresses the fact that Jesus has promised that we can trust Him to do just that. He has called out specifically the birds of the air. They don’t have jobs, they don’t reap in the fields, yet He ensures that they are fed regularly. They have plenty to eat, generation after generation. And how much more valuable to the Father are we than the birds? He also calls out specifically the flowers in the fields. They don’t work or spin cloth, yet they have the most beautiful clothing there is. Our Father meets their needs.
Jesus goes on to talk to the crowd about worrying about these needs and how the pagans do the same thing. But the pagans do not know the loving care of our Father. We, who know His loving kindness, should seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and then trust Him to do His part in meeting our needs. But what exactly does that mean? We should be about the things of God, living our lives according to His will and His ways, as He has taught us in His word. We can then trust Him to make sure that we are taken care of properly. God is never unaware of our needs.
Jesus gives a similar talk told in Luke 12:22-34. In this talk, Jesus reminds folks that worrying cannot add a single hour to your life. While anxiety is a normal human feeling, it casts doubts on God’s ability to care for us. Jesus tells the crowd, in this instance, how God cares for the ravens and the wildflowers. Even Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed as well as the flowers. And He reminds the crowd, on this occasion also, that if we seek after His Kingdom, He will take care of our needs for us. We must learn to trust His goodness and believe in His ability and willingness to care for us. If we learn to see ourselves as Jesus’ flock (sheep), we can begin to see God as a compassionate shepherd who ensures that we have everything we need so that we can do what He has called us to do. It is the nature of our relationship with our Creator. It is this trust in His ability to provide which enables us to give as freely and generously as He has asked of us. We must not live a life attached to possessions and so worried about needs and possessions that we are unable to follow His ways or trust Him. And Jesus reiterates how much we are cared for in Matt 10:29-31.
In Phil 4:4-7 we are told not to be anxious about anything. With prayer and supplication, we are to make our requests made known unto God. In this passage, Paul was writing to the Philippian church which was under much persecution at the time from their pagan neighbors. He is exhorting them to have an attitude of kindness or gentleness in the place of retaliation. And when this persecution from their neighbors became troublesome and interfered with their needs, they were to make their needs and requests made known unto God. He is able to provide in any circumstances. Paul told the Philippians that they were to ask unto God in any situation and that they were to ask with Thanksgiving. And he promises them in return the peace of Christ.
Is God truly able to meet all of our needs? In the Old Testament, we saw God asking Job who meets the needs of the lions (Job 38:39-41). God takes care of them from one generation to the next. God also told Job about how foolish and irresponsible the ostrich is in taking care of their young, yet they continue from generation to generation (Job 39:13-18). God looks after an entire planet full of animals generation after generation (Psalm 147:9). He is able to care for us as well.
We know that our God and our Lord has the power to care for us. When Jesus and His disciples were out on a boat in a storm, Jesus calmed the winds and the waves with a spoken word (Matt 8:23-27). He has power over all of nature. In Matt 14:13-21, we are told how He fed 5000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Folks, God is able. Never doubt for a moment that He can meet your needs. And He promises great rewards to those who follow Him (Matt 19:28-29, Mark 10:29-30). Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness by living according to His will and His ways and trust Him to ensure that your needs are met. It is the way God has planned things.
A word of caution here. We must never take this teaching to mean that it is okay for the Christian to be irresponsible and not hold steady employment or do their best to provide for their families (1 Tim 5:8). We must always try to discern His will for our lives concerning meeting of our responsibilities. But what we are being taught here is, after doing our best to be in His will and follow His ways, we must trust Him to be there for us. He will see that our needs are met.
Responding to God: Praise God for His love and provision in times of need and in times of plenty. Thank Him for always having a plan to provide for our needs. Worship Him for always being in control. Seek to live according to His will for your life and to follow in His ways. Ask Him, with Thanksgiving, for those needs that you have, for help to not worry, and for forgiveness for those times in which you didn’t trust His faithfulness.
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