Let's sing a song of hope not worry: Matthew 6:31-34

Matthew 6:31-34

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We live in a world that loves to worry.  Sadly even believers worry don't we?  We worry about car payments, house payments, and school loan payments!  I mean, have you seen the cost of college today!?! We worry about health and our aches and pains. Yes, I've heard a lot of people sing their version of "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen".  Most of us have a Master's Degree in worry but wouldn't it be great to get a Doctorate in Hope?  (I wonder what kind of loan I would need to get that degree?)

Worry always looks at the future with potential calamity but the opposite, hope, looks at life as a set of possibilities.  These two are leading down opposite paths.   Worry says you can't make it, things won't turn out, people aren't going to like you, the church isn't going to success past this financial crisis.  (I added that last one because I know a couple of my pastor friends will relate to that).  Hope says, "God is with me. He will not leave me.  There is nothing to big for the Lord!

I believe Jesus is telling us through this passage that there is much reason to hope.  The reason is the presence of God in the equation of life but we are called to do something to access this hope.  Did you notice the promise of verse 33?  It doesn't sing the song, "Don't worry, be happy! a phrase made famous by Bobbie McFerrin in a song by the same name. We might sing a new song, "Don't worry the Father knows what you need".  That song comes out of verse 32 and it's a good one but that song is not complete unless we follow the promise of verse 33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  That sounds a lot like "Seek Ye First".  Now that's an old chorus worth singing.

So what's the solution to worry?  Its turning to walk toward and walk with the Lord and seeking his righteousness in all that we do.  Seems simple enough but simple doesn't mean easy.  The best way to start is to walk through the Word with God and to pray.

Prayer:   Dear God there are so many things to worry about.  There are so many things that we just can't see the way through but help us to seek you first, to walk in righteousness and to believe what you have said.

To Ponder:  Why don't you list those things that you're worrying about right now.  Put them on a card and pencil a big cross over the top of them.  Put your worries into God's hands and God's hope into your heart today.