- 47 minutes ago
In our daily meditations, we examine what Jesus taught in His famous Sermon on the Mount. The Lord now turned His attention to living with faith in God:
25“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 than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look 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? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27).
True peace within comes from knowing who you are and who owns you. The best remedy for worry and anxiety is to cast all your cares on Christ, with a deep understanding that He cares for you. When we realize that the Lord Jesus owns us and acknowledge the immense riches we have been given in Christ, this becomes the most effective way to combat worry and drive anxiety and fear from our minds.
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If 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—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:28-34).
When our treasures—our valuable possessions in this life—are focused solely on how much we can accumulate, stress, fear, and worry can infect our eternal souls. Before I became a Christian, my aim was to be a successful fisherman, have a decent home, and start a family. By the time I turned 21, I was fortunate enough to own my own commercial fishing boat, a home, a nice car, a motorbike, and a good-sized bank account. I suppose people envied me and desired what I had, but I was never truly satisfied inside. At 23, when the Lord entered my life, everything changed. I grew concerned for those who did not know the God who had started turning my life around. When I was challenged to leave my fishing occupation and follow Christ, thoughts raced through my mind—what would I do? How would I provide for myself? What would I wear? How would I pay the mortgage? Those are the kinds of worries that creep up on a person and bring fear, anxiety, and stress, just as they did to me. At this stage of my life, I thank God that I surrendered my fishing boat, my house, my girlfriend, and my bike to follow Christ and labor in His harvest.
Somehow, I don’t think Jesus wore the Armani shoes and the richly ornamented robes of the day. The Lord uses the example of the wildflowers on the hillside beside the crowd, explaining how Solomon was not dressed better than the flowers of the field. They did not spin their wool or cotton to create their beauty; they didn't strain or stress during their growth. Worry can siphon off our hope, but we must remind ourselves that God has seen the end from the beginning. He sees each of us in the present moment and knows what decisions we’ll make, and He can change our future accordingly, so don't let your choices hinder what God is calling you to do. The Lord is fully able to provide for you and me. He is already in the future with your provision for what He has called you to do.
My father was one of the most well-known and beloved fishermen on the East Coast of England. His real name was Ernest, but everyone called him Tom Thomas. His first fishing boat was named Why Worry, and this name exemplified his life because nothing seemed to faze him—he always did things that other fishermen would not do. Did you ever want to be like your father? Unfortunately, some of us cannot look up to our fathers and take examples from their lives. My father was not perfect, but neither are any of us; he left me a legacy of living life without worries and trusting that all will be well with us. Thank God for Jesus, who has shown us a lifestyle free from fear and has encouraged us to step out in faith. Keith Thomas
This meditation is from the complete study found at the following link: https://www.groupbiblestudy.com/engsermon/5.-laying-up-treasure-in-heaven