Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . . Look 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 (Matt. 6:25-26 NIV)?

Don’t worry, be happy. If a Caribbean singer with a big smile and a melodic voice sings the words, we smile.

But if the Creator, who examines our hearts says, “Don’t worry,” then we worry. How can we not? We wonder what’s around the corner to test our obedience to such a command. It’s almost as if we’re hard-wired to do the very thing we’re told not to do.

So how do we keep from anxious worry? One way is to imagine ourselves in the scene as Jesus teaches. He points to the flying birds that have God’s provision despite how vulnerable they are.

Our eyes follow his gesture to look at the birds in the skies and we want to believe he has such care for us. But does he?

The answer comes as our eyes return to One speaking. What is the greatest evidence of God’s care for vulnerable creatures like us? He is!

The One sent from heaven to tell us, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink…” is the One who assures us of God’s care. If he came from beyond the skies to save us for eternity, we can trust him for today.

So, today – really – don’t worry! Yes, make your plans and be responsible, but trust that the One who sent Jesus for your eternity will provide what is best for today.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to trust that you not only care for the birds of the air but also for me. Let the reality of Jesus on earth bolster my heart for the realities of today so that worry does not lead me to despair in trial or doubt in you.