Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:25-27
I have a favorite hymn that comes from the verses of today’s My Favorite Verses blog. It’s titled His Eye Is On The Sparrow and it’s had a special meaning for me over the years. Back when I was just leaving home and moving away to college (about 4.5 hours away from my folks), we visited a church in the city where I’d be attending school. On that particular Sunday, the worship team played His Eye Is On The Sparrow in the service. For my parents, the song was a reminder that as I left the nest, God would still be watching over me. Truth be told, this was a big step in my life. The next 6 years of school would define me as a man: I’d finish my coursework so I could enter my profession and find my wife all in that time. Yes, God’s eye was definitely upon me.
The song and the verses have stayed with me as the journey has moved forward. I often look back and meditate upon God’s faithfulness. It’s those reminders that help me keep going especially in the dark times we have faced recently. The thought must never leave my mind (or anyone in Christ): God is faithful. He watches over and takes care of the smallest things. Why would He not care for you?
Today as we discuss this passage, I am reminded of the series Letters To The Hurting that we recently completed overlaps with this subject. For those who are worried, anxious, doubting, or afraid, there is a truth in Matthew 6:25-27 that we must hear. God does not give up on us. He does not abandon or forsake us. What we need will be given. He knows our situation and will provide. I still need that reminder; daily in fact. I believe we all do!
Let’s dive in once again and sit at the feet of our Savior!
1. God is the provider of our needs
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.
The very fact that these are Jesus’ words to us is powerful when I consider it. Jesus came into this world with basically nothing. The years up until He started His ministry were relatively quiet in terms of what we learn from Scripture. And when He does begin His ministry, He spends 3 years traveling around Judea without so much as home to call His own. He is totally reliant and dependent upon the Lord to provide for His needs (food, clothing, shelter, etc). This passage from Matthew doesn’t specifically address this here but other ones do (And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Luke 9:58). The Son of Man had nothing to call His own but still had all He needed. 
We can take away this important truth from the life of Jesus and the disciples: God always provides for whatever is needed. Yes, the basic necessities will always exist. We often worry about whether or not we will have enough. And that worry has a huge impact on what our faith looks like. If all looks good and our bank account is full, we feel more confident to do something perhaps a bit “out of the box” for Jesus. But if we are strapped and just living paycheck to paycheck, we often focus just on getting by. But in either scenario, are we able to say “God You are enough and You can supply my need”? He is asking for faith despite what our circumstances look like (remember the widow’s mite?).
2. God’s provision is on display all around us
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
It is here where Jesus appeals to nature and it’s a true eye-opener for anyone willing to listen. Look. See the birds. Do they worry about whether they’ll have enough? Do they spend time filling up barns and storing away for the future? No. They are simply provided with what is needed and they survive because the Father feeds them. As we look at creation, we see God’s handiwork. We see a Creator Who not only intricately weaves and forms and develops but also sustains and enables. The dual nature of our God as not only standing outside of creation but within it as well is amazing. He takes on both roles perfectly! 
Jesus elevates man just as God did by creating us on the 6th day (the full culmination of His plan): Are you not of more value than they? In other words, if God cares this much about a sparrow…about a bird, how much more then does He care about you? Think about it: we are the crown jewel of His creation. We are made in His image. We see what He has made in nature alone and then think “Wow, even mankind is elevated above all of that. God you really are amazing. God you really do love us!” If our response is not adoration and praise, we must check our hearts and see God once again for Who He is.
3. God calls us to lay down our worry
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Jesus addresses anxiousness two times in these few verses (do not be anxious…which of you by being anxious). To me, that indicates the clear message He is trying to send by stating all of this. Worry must not be a word in the vocabulary for the believer in Christ. I know that’s a bold statement and seems very unrealistic in practice. But follow me here because I think this is important. Worry is a killer to any sort of true faith relationship we can have in the Lord. 
Jesus knew that worry would come up against the disciples. Peter’s worry led to his denial of Christ. The rest of the group scattered when Jesus was arrested. The same thing happens to us when we allow worry a foothold. We are immobilized, we are weakened, and we are rendered unusable for the Kingdom…if we stay in that place. I love these verses because it shows Christ truly identifying with humanity. He knows how strong a motivator anxiety can be. Yet He calls us to look at the Father’s nature and see Him as a Provider Who will not leave our need unmet. If we truly see God in that light, worry no longer has a hold on us. It is broken and powerless.
I’ve said it a lot over the past 18-24 months and even throughout this blog since the beginning of 2017: we are called to walk in a place where worry and doubt must flee. I speak the words of Matthew 6:25-27 over myself first because I know I cannot change anyone but myself. I can point everyone else to this truth but it must be your decision to live in this manner. But I cannot read this passage and then approach the rest of my life with an anxious spirit; worried about everything and anything that could be around the next corner. No, I am not called to live like that. You are not either.
As we wrap up today’s blog, I want to leave you with the lyrics of His Eye Is On The Sparrow. May they bring comfort and peace to you in your journey. We are all on separate paths, but in Christ we have the same destination. Let us lay aside things that hold us back and keep us from running this race all out, 110%. I love you guys and am praying for you. Be blessed. Can’t wait for next week as we wrap up this series!
Listen to Derek’s cover of His Eye Is On The Sparrow here:
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender words I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fear;
Though by the path He leadeth, still one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
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Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17
