‘Do Not Worry About
Tomorrow’
The Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs
Lessons: I Kings 3: 5-15; Matthew 6: 24-34; Arcana Coelestia 8478
C
onsider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is,
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O
you of little faith? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew
6:28-30,34)
Anxiety! It is something we have all encountered. So many children to
clothe. More money going out than coming in. Job security. Car troubles.
An aging house falling apart. The stock market plummeting. These are daily
troubles we often spend a lot of anxious moments thinking about. And our
level of anxiety about the future inevitably leads to stress.
So the Lord offers us these simple words: “Consider the lilies of the field.”
Our gut reaction in a very stressful time might be: “Thanks for the advice,
Lord, but considering the lilies right now isn’t going to help me much!”
But you know what? Th e most stressful times are when we need, more
than ever, to take a break and consider those lilies. This poetic and simple
message from the Lord can be incredibly profound and powerful if we will
only give it our consideration.
So let’s take a moment to consider the lilies of the field. These plain,
beautiful flowers neither toil nor spin and yet they grow. Why? Because the
Lord takes care of them. The Divine order of His creation provides that there
will be soil, rain and sunshine, so they can grow and flourish. Not every season
provides a perfect combination of these elements, yet they grow and multiply
over the years. After sustaining a year of drought, they come back all the
stronger the next year. Eventually the rains come, and after drinking in the
moisture they are revitalized.
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