Thursday, April 28, 2016

Today’s Reading  |  Matthew 6:25–34         
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (NRSV)

Reflection
Long before the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff was published in 1997, two thousand years ago, Matthew 6 is trying to teach us this same lesson. What good does worrying do? Not much. If you take the advice from the scripture and watch birds in the sky or flowers in the meadows, watch them in their natural beauty, they do not have a care in the world—yet their natural beauty shines without having to worry about how they look. What you are witnessing are the birds and the flowers living for God, not for vanity or status.

The saying “God has your back” comes to mind at the end of this selection. Trust in God, for God will take care of your necessities so you can enjoy the beauty he has created in the world around you. Stop and smell the flowers.

Prayer
Dear Lord, show us how to enjoy the beauties you’ve created and to trust in your wisdom that you have a grand life plan for all of us. Amen.

Written by Doug Whitmer, Director of Human Resources and Office Administration

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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