In This Issue:
Weed Right in Front of You
“But God”
The First “Don’t Worry Club”
Fretting Wastes Precious Time
The Ways of Faith
Volume: 1002 April 21, 2025
Theme: Worry
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Weed Right in Front of You
Bill Brinkworth
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34
Worrying over life’s troubles consumes much time for many. Sometimes, the concerns are legitimate; sometimes, they are only imagined and never come to fruition. We all have been vexed by what we perceived as problems.
God has much to say about the sin of worrying in His Word. Matthew 6:34 compels us to take life’s obstacles on a day-by-day basis. We have a lot on our plate for today; do not worry about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Besides, what situation has worrying ever improved (Matthew 6:27)?
Looking at all the possible problems that could happen on another day is very frustrating. I remember the same feeling when told to weed a 40-foot garden when I was younger.
My mother gave me the chore to weed a backyard flower patch. I worked a short time, then looked to the finishing point. It seemed so far away and impossible. After working a little more, I again looked to the far end. t seemed I would never finish, and it was almost hopeless that I would ever complete the job.
Then, I came up with a different strategy. Instead of looking at the enormous task, I looked no further than two feet before me. Looking up, I found my short goal and weeded hard to reach it. When I achieved that mark, I looked up two feet further and made that my next mission. Never did I look to the end. I kept making short commitments.
I do remember at one point, which did not seem that long after starting, when I did permit myself to look back where I started. Why, the beginning point was far, far behind me. I did accomplish something. I was beginning to realize that the task was obtainable.
Again, I returned to my two-foot tasks. Before long, my next look at the next two-foot objective made me realize it was the end. Small bites at the task and not fretting over the overall picture made the job seem faster and less agonizing. From that chore, I learned to set shorter goals and keep plodding on until the main goal was reached.
Life has many challenges that we will face. God does not give us more than we can handle. Be concerned with what God gives us to do today. When tomorrow comes, he will also give us the grace to meet the challenges we face that day.
“Worry is a kind of insult to the Lord. It’s like throwing His promises and assurances back into His face and saying they’re no good, and you don’t trust Him.” — Fletcher
“But God”
Edited From Pearls, Points, and Parables, F. E. Marsh, 1908
Two significant words are often found in the Bible that indicate things will not turn out the way one expects; there will be a change. Those hopeful words are, “But God.”
When we leave God out of our reckoning, difficulties will daunt us, temptations will triumph over us, sin will seduce us, self will sway us, and the world will warp us. Seeming impossibilities will irritate us, and unbelief will undermine our faith. Christian work will worry us, fear will frighten us, and all things will wear us down. We will be defeated..
When God is recognized as the One who undertakes for us, then difficulties are opportunities to trust Him, temptations are the harbingers of victory, sin has no attraction, self is denied, unbelief is ignored, service is a delight, contentment sings in the heart, and all things are possible! God’s involvement can change anything.
“Worry is believing God won’t get it right.” — Todd Wagner
The First “Don’t Worry Club”
D. L. Moody
Mrs. Sangster says that we hear a good deal about the futility of being anxious as if it were a novelty. People have established “Don’t Worry Clubs.” The first “Don’t Worry Club” was begun by our blessed Lord Himself when He said, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (Mt 6:25).”
He bade us consider the lilies growing in their beauty and purity without a thought and taught us the proper way of living without care, without solicitude, bearing all burdens lightly, and having continual joy on our faces. Only those who have the indwelling Christ in their hearts can walk through this world with bright and glad looks because they know that, let come what may, their Father will lead them safely.
“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Mat. 6:28-30
“Don’t let yesterday mess us up today.” — Author Unknown
Fretting Wastes Precious Time
Author Unknown
Two gardeners had their pea crops killed by the frost. One who fretted greatly and grumbled at the loss visited his neighbor sometime afterward and was astonished to see another fine crop growing. He inquired how it could be.
“These are what I sowed while you were fretting,” was the reply.
“Why, don’t you worry?”
“Yes, but I put it off till I have repaired the problem.”
“Why, then there’s no need to fret at all.”
“True. That’s the reason I put it off.”
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
— Corrie Ten Boom
The Ways of Faith
F. E. Marsh, From Pearls, Points, and Parables, 1908
- The way of faith is not the way of sight. It is not looking for evidence, either in our own feelings or the circumstances at play. True faith does not ask for these things. It rests on something altogether apart from them.
- The way of faith is not the way of effort. That is, when we are trusting another to do a thing for us, we have ceased to try to do it for ourselves. Genuine faith is confidence in God that He is working on our behalf. Instead of bringing worry and effort into our hearts, faith brings rest.
- The way of faith is the way of reliance upon the character and promise of another and upon God and His Word. Faith looks to God to work, as He said He would, and refuses to undertake for itself, except to fulfill those conditions that God may have laid down with His promise. Indeed, the largest part of faith’s struggle, often, is to keep from interfering and to keep from helping God out, as some think they must.
Unbelief cannot and will not wait for God to work but must rush ahead to help itself. Thus, it fails to receive from God.
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Isa. 64:4
On the contrary, faith is willing to endure trial and wait long if need be until God is ready to interpose on its behalf. Faith knows that.
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Heb. 10:23
A significant part of faith’s work, therefore, is fighting unbelief and refusing to look at those things that dishearten and destroy confidence. Satan is ever ready with temptations to make us doubt. Often, too, the circumstances about us would utterly discourage us. God frequently waits to be gracious until our self-hopes and efforts are done.
- The way of faith is God’s way with His people. There is no other way.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Heb. 11:6