Jump Start # 2556

Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

One of the hymns that we sing begins with the words, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear.” Troublesome times. The song doesn’t say troublesome times are some day. Nor does it say, we might have a bit of troublesome times in the future. No. It’s troublesome times are here. We are in it. It’s arrived. Like it or not, troublesome times have come. I’ve never seen a song leader lead that song and then followed with the song, “I’m happy today.” I’m happy today and troublesome times just do not make a good match. And, troublesome times are what we are in now. Gas is cheap but there’s no place to go. Schools are out. Stores are closed. People are working from home. Restaurants only serve take out. Grocery stores are out of so many items. Even congregations are not assembling. The experts keep telling us that things will get worse before they get better. Troublesome times, they are here.

Our verse today is taken from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. In this unit the Lord is telling His audience not to be anxious or worried. Five times the word “worry” or “worried” is used. Here is a summation of what the Lord says:

• Do not worry (15, 31, 34)
• Worry cannot accomplish what you want (27)?
• Why do you worry (28)?

Worry steals our sleep. It ruins our appetite. It invites doubt, fear and unwholesome thoughts. Worry never leads to good things. And, as the Lord teaches throughout this section, worry pushes faith out of our hearts. The more worry we have, the less faith there is. And, the opposite is just as true. The stronger our faith, the less we worry.

In the verses leading up to our passage today, the Lord talked about worrying about food and clothing. Now, in our verse, the Lord centers upon one of the greatest aspects of worry—tomorrow. What about tomorrow? Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” But we do. When you have a medical test or surgery the next day, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. You think about it all night long. You worry about how much you think it will hurt. You worry about the costs involved. You worry about how long your recovery will be. You worry if the surgery will be successful. We worry about having enough money to retire or, if you are retired, you worry if you are going to run out of money.

Tomorrow—that’s the land of dreams, plans and goals. Tomorrow is another day, is what Scarlett said at the end of the movie, Gone with the Wind. Tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, is what James us warned about saying. The rich farmer in Luke 12 was living in tomorrow. He was planning to tear down barns, build larger ones and take his ease. His life was in tomorrow and he forget to live for today.

Jesus tells us three things about tomorrow:

First, do not worry about it.

Second, tomorrow will take care of itself.

Third, there’s enough trouble today.

How fitting it is for us to talk about worry, tomorrow, troublesome times and today. Put those all in a big pot, stir them around a bit and you’ll have the perfect mixture for a headache and a heartache and you’ll just feel like going to bed and pulling the covers over your head. What if we run out of toilet paper and we can’t find any? What if we are forced to stay at home? What if we have to cook? Vacations are shot. Jobs may be teetering. What about graduations? What about the up coming election? What if I get this flu? Worry…worry…worry.

Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear. And, our Lord says, Do not worry about tomorrow.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, there is enough going on today. There is enough to pray about today. There is enough temptation to fight today. There is enough choices to make today. There is enough opportunities to let our light shine today. Getting through today will take all that we have. And, it’s more than just surviving until another day. It’s getting through this rightly. It’s getting through this by glorifying God. It’s getting through this and staying connected to God. It’s getting through this and leaving footprints for others to follow.

Your plate is full today. You don’t need to borrow anything from tomorrow. There is enough for you to handle mentally, emotionally and spiritually today.

Second, things change. Life is very fluid. We understand this in normal times. You have your week all planned out and suddenly there is a death in your family. Your plans are tossed out the window. Everything changes. By Jesus saying, “Tomorrow will care for itself,” how I see things today may not be how they are. Things will work out. It may not be as I planned. God can even change our plans. Paul wanted to preach in Asia. God said “No.” That door remained closed. There was another place. It wasn’t on Paul’s radar, but it was on God’s.

Third, some day there will be no tomorrow. All the plans that the rich farmer had ended the night he died. He had no more tomorrows. Some day will be our last day. There won’t be any tomorrows after that. Once we pass through that door of death, everything changes for us. We will run out of tomorrows someday. In eternity time will be no more. Calendars, schedules, clocks will have no place in eternity. There is no aging in eternity. Tomorrow will have taken care of itself.

Fourth, the present is all we can work in. We can’t go back and change the past. We can set things up for tomorrow, but it’s today where we operate. We must be walking with God today. We must be making choices today that will shape our eternity. We can influence others in the future, but that is done by what we do today. We live and move in the present.

Don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t worry about today. After a while, a guy gets the idea that we aren’t supposed to worry. And, that’s it. Don’t worry. Trust God. Walk with the Lord. Do the best you can. Make a difference where you are. Live in the grace of God and honor the Lord all that you can.

These are troublesome times—but “I’m happy today.” I’m happy because I belong to the Lord. I’m Heaven Bound. And, I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. The Lord is already there. He’ll take care of things. The Lord is good, He is so good to me.

Roger