ICS Daily Devotions
Don’t Worry….Have Faith

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Both wealth and poverty can cause anxiety. The sudden downturn of the stock market can wipe millions if not billions off the rich and cause them to have sleepless nights, while the low-income workers who struggle with the ability to provide for their families especially during these past 2-3 years of Covid management have anxiety as well. Unfortunately, worrying doesn’t help us to resolve or overcome the challenges that we are facing today. In fact, worrying wears us down and drains us emotionally but achieves nothing. Therefore, Jesus is encouraging us not to worry about tomorrow because there is already enough trouble for today.

Every one of us has various worries in the different seasons of our lives. Some people are worried that they will not find a Christian life partner for marriage. Some are concerned that their children’s international school has a lack of qualified teachers. Many are worried that the economy is affecting their businesses badly. Some of us are concerned that there might be a downsizing in the company. Others are concerned that China will never be the same again. While it is within our abilities to make changes to some of the concerns that we have, other worrisome issues are simply beyond the control of the individual.

For those who are single and have high expectations of a Christian marriage partner, perhaps the answer is to adjust their standards slightly. If we are concerned about the quality of the teachers in our children’s school, then we should pray for good teachers to be recruited and do some homework regarding what other schools are offering. If there is a possible downsizing in the company, we should be thankful that God has provided well for us these past years to prepare us for the difficult years ahead. We need to pray for another job opening but also be open to God’s leading. We also need to spend time praying for the leadership of the nation, and to for us to have the wisdom to know how to adjust our business strategy if our business is suffering under the current policies.
Jesus gave us a way out of the worries, which is to have faith in God. He encourages us to put our priorities in the right order when we are worried, because He knows that there is a tendency for us to deal with the situation based on our own strength and drift away from Him.

Matthew 6:25-27 (NKJV) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Sermon Series: Having Trouble