Tomorrow
Notes
Transcript
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Of all the things we humans do, there is nothing more pointless and draining than worrying and being anxious. A reasonable argument could be made that worry is a bigger waste of time than watching television, playing endless video games, or scrolling on your phone all day. Anxiety not only fills our mind and distracts us from doing productive things, it can, depending on how anxious we are, also zap us of physical energy. But now, kids, listen to me carefully: Don’t use that statement to argue with your parents when they tell you to stop wasting time watching TV or whatever. You don’t have my permission to say, “But pastor says it’s better than being worried.”
How many times have you been really worried and incredibly anxious about something, but then everything fell into place and life simply moved on? We all remember times when we have been incredibly worried, but it can be easy to forget what we were worrying about because everything worked out just fine. God gave you what you needed, and you made it through. There are other times you weren’t worried about anything, and God still gave you what you needed. So, whether you are anxious and worried or not, God provides.
Three times in this text, Jesus commands you, “Do not worry.” One other time He asks almost sarcastically, “Why do you worry?” Jesus cares a lot about us not worrying because He has an interest in your confidence and trust. He doesn’t want you to be anxious. In this text, Jesus makes two things clear: First, God wants to and does give you everything you need for life. And second, God wants you to have confidence that He will give you everything you need.
We sit in strong, solid, well-built homes that have cupboards, pantries, and refrigerators full of food. In fact, we often end up throwing perfectly good food away. We have dressers, closets, and storage bins filled with more clothes than we could ever use, but we wonder if God cares about us. Birds and grass have a lot to teach us about trusting our Creator.
God cares for the birds by feeding them. Each day, every bit of food eaten by every bird on the planet was put there by God. God knows you need food just like a bird does. He’ll make sure you have it. God cares for the flowers by clothing them more splendidly than Solomon was ever clothed. If God clothes the grass like that, He will make sure you have what you need.
We live in a world surrounded by unbelievers who are always worried about the future. The sad fact is that they think their worry actually accomplishes something. Christ doesn’t want you to live like that. Jesus says you are free to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things – food, clothing, house, home, money, goods, etc. – will be given to you as well.
Listen, God promises that if your regular source of food and clothing is depleted or cut off, He will provide another one. Our Old Testament lesson (1 Kgs. 17:8-16) is a great example. God sent a drought to punish Israel during the days of Elijah, so God told Elijah to live by a brook named Cherith promising, “I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kgs. 17:4). Scripture doesn’t say how long Elijah lived there with the crows waiting on him, but as the drought went on, the brook dried out, and that is where our text picks up. God tells Elijah to go the city of Zarephath because, “I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (1 Kgs. 17:9). That line really struck me this week.
For however long he lived at Cherith, Elijah had become accustomed to the ravens flying to him and providing his food because God had commanded them to feed him. Now, he gets to Zarephath, but this widow doesn’t come up to him and say, “There you are. Diner is at my place. God commanded me to feed you.” Not even close! Elijah watches this widow picking up a couple of sticks and asks her for a drink of water, and the woman heads off to get it. Only then does Elijah decide to add a bite of bread to his order, and the woman doesn’t say, “No way! I can’t give you anything.” Instead, her response is, basically, “I’ve only got enough ingredients for my son and I to have a bite. I’m grabbing these sticks so we can bake it, eat, and die.” I wonder if this is how Elijah recognizes that she is the one God had commanded to feed him. Then, there is the promise that the flour and oil will not run out until God would send rain and provide relief from the drought (1 Kgs. 17:14, 16). Again, once Elijah’s supply of food from the ravens was gone, God provided Elijah another supply of food.
Dear saints, God will provide all you need for this life until He calls you to heaven. And in the New Creation, God will provide you with a feast of rich food for all eternity (Is. 25:6). He has promised!
Now, all of that brings us to v. 34 which is where I really want to focus our attention, and if your mind has been wandering, come back. After telling us to not be anxious about what we will eat, drink, or wear, Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow.” Again, Jesus has given us ample reasons to not worry about food and clothing, but I honestly don’t know many, if any, people who are anxious about those things. (God has certainly blessed us!) But I do know a lot of you here are worried about what will happen tomorrow, a month from now, a year from now, and in the coming decades.
Some are worried about the virus and the variants. Some are worried about what long-term side effects the vaccines might have. Some are worried about the government becoming too authoritative. Some are worried the government isn’t doing enough to stop the virus or terrorists, and with the 20th anniversary of 9/11, some are worried about another terrorist attack on our soil. Some are worried about the world becoming more and more hostile toward Christians. All of this can pile up and make us worried about the world our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will live in. But Jesus straight up tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
Now, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say this succinctly since Tuesday, and I still haven’t found it. So, bear with me. When Christ commands us, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus almost gives us permission to worry about today, but it’s like we are to draw a line at the end of the day and not have any worry whatsoever about anything past that line. To be sure, Jesus tells us to not worry about our life – food, clothing, etc., but the evil and ugly things we face today are enough for us. And we are to do everything God gives us to do to confront and combat those evils each day God gives us.
Here’s what I mean, with all of Jesus’ talk about not worrying, we can fall off the other side of the horse and become sinfully passive and idle. We might be tempted to think we don’t ever have to work or do anything to combat the evils we face and think God will just take care of everything. Well, that isn’t right either. For example, it is a sin to pray for a hole when God has given you a shovel.
And since each day has enough evil of its own, don’t let tomorrow’s evil distract you with worry from the evil you face today. Jesus promises that He will give you everything you need to meet the evil, ugly challenges of today. And, if He gives you another day tomorrow, He will do it again.
For example: Some of you have watched the pain family endures while their child is being treated for cancer. Some of you have actually gone through this. But for those of you who haven’t, you might think, “I could never handle that. I don’t have the strength.” You were right. God hasn’t called you to do that – at least not yet. But Jesus doesn’t want you to worry about that diagnosis coming tomorrow because it distracts you from meeting the challenges and evil God has called you to face today. If the day comes when God calls you to meet that evil (or any evil like that), Jesus promises to give you the strength to meet that evil each and every day it is yours to endure.
You see, when you get to the end of the day and are completely worn out, remember, God designed your tank to be empty at the end of the day. So, go to sleep in peace (Ps. 4:8). And when you wake up again, be ready to face the trouble that comes your way that day.
Above all, remember what Christ has done by taking on our flesh. Jesus Himself got hungry and thirsty and tired and hot and cold, so He knows the struggles you face. He endured it all without a shred of worry because He trusted that God the Father would provide the strength He needed to endure it. Even as He went to the cross, carrying all your sin of doubt and anxiety, He entrusted Himself to God (1 Pet. 2:23), and there on the cross Jesus provided what you needed most – His forgiving blood shed for you. On the cross, Christ overcame and defeated all the evils of every day that you face and opened the kingdom of heaven to you.
So, when you face the evil of each of your todays, remember that God has promised to take care of it. Ps. 37:32-33 says, “The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon [the righteous] to [the wicked’s] power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.” That means that none of the devil’s charges against you can stand in God’s court, and nothing that the world can throw at you will ever change that.
Dear saints, be comforted and be at peace. Your God knows what you need to face today and all your future todays. And He will provide the strength you need. He has promised. He is faithful. He will surely do it (1 Thes. 5:24). Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.