Stop Worrying and Start Trusting

And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? (Luke 12:22-26 NASB)

When my son Ryan was little, he attended a Christian school. One day, he told me they had studied Psalm 37. 
"Hey, Mom, do you know why it says 'Do not fret' three times?" he asked me. 
"No, Ryan, why is that?" 
"It's because God really means it. DO NOT FRET!"

Ryan was right. 

Over and over in Scripture, God tells us not to worry, not to fret. He can handle this experience we call life. In this passage, Jesus tells us again, "Do not worry about your life." 

Don't worry about anything. Not what you will eat, or what you will wear, or about your health. 

God can handle whatever comes our way.

"Consider the ravens," He told His disciples. I usually just brush past those words, but today I decided to consider. Ravens, it turns out, can survive just about anywhere, because they aren't picky about their habitat or their food. They are very intelligent birds and can be taught to speak some words. They can work together with other ravens to capture food. 

One of the facts about ravens that surprised me is that they're acrobatic and playful. According to allaboutbirds.org, young ravens will play with sticks while they fly, dropping them from the sky, then diving to catch them. 

These birds fly around, enjoying life as they go. They never worry about what they'll eat because they can always find something that will do. They aren't attractive birds, but that doesn't stop them from enjoying life. Their sound is more a croak than a song, but that doesn't stop God from caring for them.

God feeds them. 

God provides for them. 

You will never see a raven die of starvation. You will not see a raven discouraged or unhappy about its circumstances. They take what comes and fly on. Sometimes, they fly upside down, just for fun.

How amazing is that? 

Ravens are content, happy, having fun because they know something we struggle to understand. God can handle the life of a raven. It's no big deal. 

If God can handle raven-life, He can handle human-life, too. He can handle my life. And yours. He's got this life of ours and it's no big deal for Him. 

"How much more valuable you are than the birds!" That's what Jesus told His disciples and it's what He would have us hear, too. We are more valuable than the birds. He knows every bird. He feeds every bird. 

There is great news for those of us who are living in uncertain circumstances. He knows us. We are valuable to Him. We don't have to fret or worry. He means it. Quit worrying. Trust Him. 

Not fretting is part of being a disciple of Jesus. Let's get this straight before we go any further. If we are following Jesus, we should not be worrying. He can handle whatever comes our way. He knows our needs. He will provide. It may not be the provision we expect, but He will provide.

If we can trust Him to save our soul, we can trust Him to provide for our needs. We can put our faith in Him for whatever we face.

Stop worrying. Quit rehearsing the problems. If there is something you should do to fix your problem, do it. If there's not, turn to the One who can handle it all. 

Give it to Him. 
Leave it with Him. 
Trust Him.  

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Our Father, Hallowed be your name. We give our needs to you and trust you to care for us with the same generosity you show the birds of the air. Give us this day our daily bread. Fill us with your Spirit. Nothing more. Nothing less. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Teach us to pray, part 36: Daily Bread

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: ' Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

We come now to the phrase "give us each day our daily bread". The word here for daily is epiousios, and Strong's explains it to mean "for this day and the next". The idea here is that God will provide enough for today and tomorrow, so that we will not be fearful today about what we will need tomorrow. For one who has a tendency toward concern for tomorrow before I've begun today, this is the kind of provision that gives me great comfort. It's provision that allows me to enjoy the gifts of today, knowing that tomorrow is also secure.

This kind of prayer for "daily bread" is not a prayer for champagne and caviar. This is a prayer for what is necessary, not what is extravagant. It is not a request for wants, but for needs. I have a sad history of many wants (and of obtaining those wants), most of which have nothing to do with needs. When I rein in my requests to that which is necessary, it allows me to leave the extras to my Heavenly Father, who is far more generous than I could ever deserve. 

When I truly ask for my "daily bread", I begin to focus on my needs rather than my wants. I've found that the things I have accumulated take on a different light, as well. Not everything I've accumulated is something I still need, and many of these things could better serve someone else. There is great freedom in passing items that are still serviceable to someone who can use it. 

There is something very interesting about the word translated here as bread. According to Thayer's, this is the word for bread made from flour and water. It is the thickness of a thumb and baked in a round cake about the size of a plate. This bread is to be broken, not sliced, and is the same word used to describe the bread eaten at the Last Supper, the bread about which Jesus said, "This is my body, broken for you." It is also the same word Jesus used when He said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35)   In a way, when I pray "Give us this day our daily bread," I am also asking that I have all the spiritual sustenance I need. It is a request for as much of Christ as I will require, as well.

May God give us each day the spiritual and physical sustenance we need. This week, let's make a conscious effort to focus on both our spiritual and physical needs, remembering that the provision for both come from God alone.