The Promises

In Haggai 2, we see God speak directly to the Israelites and remind them to embrace the promises that He has given them. These promises are the lifeblood of the Israelite people as they return from exile and as they seek to follow God. God’s promises should also guide us. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of the promises of God and what these promises mean for us.

Today, we are going to look at a promise that is so fitting for our society and is fitting for today. Election day can lead to lots of different responses and anxieties. But as Christians, we can hold fast to the promise that we see in Matthew 6:25-34. I want to just provide a disclaimer- This is not a complete study on anxiety. We will look more at anxiety and depression in the Practical Theology Corner, but today we are just looking at a promise of God that has to do with anxiety and depression. If you are battling anxiety and depression, we would love to talk more.

This is a long passage, so we will not look at it verse by verse, but from Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus teaches about anxiety. Jesus speaks some powerful words of truth from verses 31-34, saying:

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

As Jesus teaches the crowd, he addresses this common challenge. Anxiety has long been a hard topic. But Jesus does not skip over it. Instead, Jesus directly speaks to the challenge of anxiety. Jesus tells the crowd first not to worry. Jesus then states that it is one thing for the Gentiles, or those who do not know God, to worry, but that the people of God do not need to worry. That is an important thing to note. Gentile typically means anyone who is not Jewish, but in this case, it is specifically talking about people who do not know God. The Gentiles, Jesus tells us, are trapped in anxiety.

Jesus then contrasts that with how we can approach life. Our heavenly Father knows what we need. So, instead of worrying, we can live a different type of life. Rather than being full of worry and anxiety, we can focus on the Kingdom of God and what it looks like to follow God.

So where is the promise here? The promise is this- “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” The promise of God here is beautifully simple. We are to focus on pursuing God, not on worrying about whether or not our needs will be provided for. We focus on bringing the Gospel to others through our lives and God will provide the rest. This week, let me encourage you to focus on seeking the Kingdom of God. When you are tempted to worry about your provision, or about a hard situation, take a minute and focus yourself back on God and on how God will provide.

 Pastor Daniel

Please remember- if you are battling anxiety and depression, you are not alone. We are here for you. Please reach out to me at daniel@cornerstonesavoy.org. I would love to walk with you through this season.