In His "Sermon on the Mount" found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus taught His disciples - us worriers - to trust and serve Him. Addressing our need to keep God first in our lives, Jesus used the feathered and flowery to remind us of God's careful care, His loving provision.
Unworried birdies bespeak truth; lavishly bedecked wildflowers wield wisdom. If God takes such good care of them, how much more will He care for His kids? So stop being anxious and instead live for Him. He knows your needs and will provide. Fix your heart and mind on Him first.
Has it been a while since you read Matthew 6:24-34? Right now would be a great time to re-hear our Teacher on this all too timely topic. Join His disciples on that hillside and listen.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
"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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (NIV).
Such a great encouragement! God is looking after us - no need to worry. Trust Him, rest in Him as you worship and serve Him. Fret over food, obsess over outfits? No. Are you not more important to your Father? He knows your needs.
Could we define "WORRY" as: Wasted Opportunities to Rest and Rejoice in Yahweh (i.e. Jehovah, the LORD)? Jesus said the nations ("pagans"), those who are not His people, are those who are consumed with worldly pursuits. His people are to live and love differently.
When the focus of life becomes accumulating and securing stuff, we're living no differently from the nations (see 1 John 2:15-17). We act as if our Father doesn't know or care. This is such a slander on His character, His power, compassion and knowledge.
Do you live and serve God as if He loves sparrows and dotes over daylilies more than you? Who bears His image? For whom did He send His one of a kind Son to die? Read Romans 5:1-11 and Ephesians 1-2 sometime soon.
Are you prone to worry, apt to be anxious? Jesus, the master teacher, says "look to birds, learn from lilies". If God takes such good care of them, how much more will He look after us? He loves and provides for us - we can trust Him and should make Him and His will our top priority.
No one - not even you - can serve two masters. In the words of Joshua, choose this day whom you will serve and seek. Of all the good things you will pursue this year, none should take first place over seeking God: His rule and righteousness, His rightful reign.
If you ever need a reminder, behold the birdies, look to the lilies. Then in faith and love, serve God above all else.