Do not worry – rather trust

An Emoji Devotional for Sun. Sept 12, 2021

Topic: Do not worry – rather trust

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1. Peter 5:7) 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5 – 6)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6 – 7)

“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 than food, and the body more 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers 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—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. (Matthew 6:25 – 34)

In my corner of the world there was a time, whenever you put on your radio, you heard Bobby McFerrin warble his song: Do not worry – be happy! He did not give a solid ground to trust in, but he found a truth: “In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double! 

The word of God provides us with more and especially with an unwavering solid ground – the trust in the Lord who cares for us. By trusting in the Lord, there is never a situation hopeless. It may take unexpected turns, but it will eventually turn out for the good. God is in no way indifferent to our troubles. Much more he invites us to cast everything upon him and to go on with trusting that whatever is going to happen has a deeper purpose. To put his kingdom and his righteousness above our perceived needs is under the promise that our needs will be magically met. In John 15, Jesus gives us a wonderful parable about the wine and the branches. Jesus is the vine, we as his followers are the branches and his father is the gardener. All we have to do is to stay connected with the wine and accepting the pruning of the gardener and we will bear beautiful grapes. The full connection with the wine is crucial. By staying in Jesus, he will stay in us and the result of that intimate bond is unfailingly fruit. Knowing that we are in God’s hands and that his peace fulfills our hearts is a solid ground that leads to serenity without worries. Brothers and Sisters let us trust the Lord, let us seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and enjoy his blessings the way he is providing them. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to trust you wholly and flood my heart with your peace even if the circumstances of my life appear overwhelming. Help me to stay in you and thank you that you promised to stay in me. Let me bring fruit for your kingdom. Thank you for your unfailing love and care. Amen