Stop Worry

Scripture:

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NIV)

Devotional Reflection

Worry arises when we imagine potential problems and measure them against the resources we have right now, assuming we wouldn’t have enough if those problems happened today. The point that Christ is teaching here is that each day has plenty of issues to deal with without having to concern ourselves with problems that are only a possibility for the future. Isn’t that true?

We worry because we do not fully trust the Lord to provide whatever we might need if those potential problems actually arise. We fear we will not have the wisdom, the money, the time, or the support of the people involved. Worry reveals the places in our lives where we do not trust the Lord to provide. In those moments, we forget that He is Jehovah Jireh.

In the story of Abraham, God makes a covenant with him that he will become a great nation through the children born to him and his wife. When God made this covenant with Abraham and Sarai, they were already old—Abraham was 75 years old. Yet the promised son did not come until Abraham was 100. Abraham had waited most of his life for a son. Knowing that God’s covenant would be fulfilled through this child, we can imagine how overjoyed he was when Isaac was born. At the same time, we can also imagine how heartbreaking it must have been when God asked Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice.

In this moment, God was teaching both Abraham and Isaac that He will provide for every situation that arises when we trust Him. Abraham had to come to a place of faith, believing that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead. Isaac, at first, was unaware of God’s command. He assumed they would offer a lamb, as they had done before. Only when they reached the place of sacrifice did Abraham reveal that Isaac himself was to be the offering. In that moment, Abraham must have expressed his confidence that God would keep His promise—even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead. Isaac, too, had to trust that God would provide.

Just as Abraham lifted the knife to sacrifice his son, God stopped him and provided a ram instead. Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”

We learn to trust God as our Provider when we surrender everything to Him. The more we give to Him—in time, in praise, in finances, and in serving—the more our faith is formed to trust that He will provide. We give to Him so that our trust in Him can grow. And when we truly trust Him, worry begins to lose its hold on our lives.

Prayer

Lord, You are our Provider. Forgive us for trusting in ourselves instead of You. Teach us to trust You with every worry and every unknown. Help us rest in Your provision today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.