Lesson Nine • Do Not Be Anxious
Devotion 2: You are of More Value!
Pastor John Carter
Yesterday, we acknowledged that sometimes when we read Scripture, our brains have a tendency to reel back and seriously question what we are reading. We ask ourselves questions, “Can I trust this?” We started to walk down the path of asking the question “why” to doubt, fear, and anxiety directly as it correlated to the trust aspect. We should question, “Why can I not trust this statement?” As we break down these first few verses of Jesus’ teaching, keep that thought in your head. Jesus gives us some incredible promises to hold onto that are far more powerful than doubt, fear, and anxiety.
Matthew 6:25-26 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Jesus gives us two major elements of life that He tells us not to worry about, food and cover. The pessimistic side of me goes off and says, “Easier said than done!” Food and clothing are at the very core of basic necessities. Of all the things in life to consider worrying about, I would think that food and clothing would be okay. It is not like I am worried about who wins the Superbowl. There are a ton of other things Jesus could have put into these passages besides the core of basic human needs. We have so many things in our life to consider and worry about. We have our jobs, finances, car repairs, home repairs, and what our friends think (what they like or do not like on our social media). These are first-world problems. I think this is the very point Jesus is making when it comes to our anxiety and worry. We allow so many things in our lives to consume our thoughts and mind. We tend to worry about things that are actually very minor and insignificant. We tend to make mountains out of molehills.
Jesus is clearly bringing it back to the basics. He is doing it intentionally. Consider the promise Jesus lays out for us. He uses tangible and real things to point us to the heavenly truth. He says, “Look at the birds of the air.” Consider how they get their food and their basic necessities in life. They do not plant gardens, nor do they have big barns to store food. Yet, the Father feeds them. Here is the part of the promise that you truly have to examine. Jesus asks a rhetorical question, “Are you not of more value than they?” The promise is less about the food and more about your worth to God. The promise is about the character of God and how God the Father views you. Take a look at another passage that affirms the very thing Jesus is saying. Psalm 147:8-11 says, “He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
God’s promise is that He values us. Pause and think through that very statement. Do you see yourself as a valued child of God? Do you see God as a Father who cares for His children? Just as we walked through the “why” on the pessimistic side, we also need to do the same for the promise side of things. Why do you not see yourself as a valued child of God? Why do you not see God as a caring father? These are the issues at the core of anxiety, fear, and doubt. Where do we put our trust and belief? If we cannot trust God in the basics of human necessity, how can we say we trust Him for anything else? God loves me enough to send His only son, would He then have me starve to death? Hopefully, we can see the disconnect in that thinking. The promise again is in the value God has for us. There are a lot of things in this life that create fear and anxiousness. We often have those fears, doubts, and anxieties because we have lost sight of the promises of God, or we just never believed them to begin with.
“Are you not of more value than they?” It is the ultimate question to address in your life. Is the work of Jesus on the cross something you hold to and believe in? Do you believe the Word of God when it says He did this for you and for me? We can also believe and trust in God when it comes to our nourishment. Jesus brings it back to basics. If there is anything we should be worried about, it is the necessities. Jesus tells us not to even worry about our basic needs. How absurd is it that? We let so many other things that are not even close to the basics consume our minds.
Matthew 10:29-31 adds, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Today, examine your value to God. Are you His child? Does He know you? Do you know Him? John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Once you have confidently answered the first question, the second question is, “Do you trust His Word?” I do not know exactly what it is that is causing you to fear, doubt, or be anxious. I do not want to dismiss the struggle, because it is real. I want to encourage you to look at the promise over the fear. You are incredibly valuable to God. He cares for you and knows your struggles and difficulties. He wants you to know that He is not far away, but is very near and present. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we read, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Trust in the promises of God! Trust that He values you. Trust that He cares for you.