Do You Worry?
Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.
The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in Him. “This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive or about clothes for your body”. After all, isn’t life worth more than food? And isn’t the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from, or my drink, or my clothes?’” (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.
When I lie down, I go to sleep in peace; you alone, O LORD, keep me perfectly safe. I will not be afraid when I go to bed, and I will sleep soundly through the night.
We, who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, “I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘they will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!’” He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world. As it is, however, there still remains for God’s people a rest like God’s resting on the seventh day.
