"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." (Matthew 6:25-26, MSG)
When I was really young, I despised spinach and
cantaloupes. The first time I tasted them was in sunny Spain. Unfortunately,
both disappointed me, for after eating them, I literally lost all contents of my
stomach, and I ended up being sick for two days. I convinced myself I was truly
allergic to them. They became my forbidden food and there was no way I would
ever touch them.
Had I persisted in my belief, I would have missed the opportunity to enjoy these
two delicious foods. Today, I eat both of them with anticipation. (It's true
that my wife is a gourmet cook who can take any food, even the tasteless kind,
and turn it into a meal for a king…) Why should I have to worry about food?
As for my clothes, I never fuss. I would wear them, holes and all. Wouldn't this
offer air-conditioning? After all, clothes are just clothes!
Here again my wife comes through for me, secretly making these damaged garments
disappear into nothingness.
Why worry about clothing?
Too often we focus on trivialities that are not worth worrying about, giving up
our freedom and replacing it with bondage. There is, after all, far more to life
than food and clothing. Instead we should be like the birds, "careless in the
care of God," who always comes through!
A few years ago I was diagnosed with acid reflux. I would have to take medicine
for the rest of my life. If I didn't take my pill for the day, I would have
terrible consequences. It was a real nightmare.
Then one day I came to my senses. My Heavenly Father wants me to be healthy. If
that is the case, why worry? I left my acid reflux in His hands. Within weeks, I
had no more acid reflux. That was a few years ago. I have never refilled these
pills again. I am completely healed (My pharmacist, however, probably wishes I
had never asked for help from my Heavenly Father…).
Why worry when I have a caring Heavenly Father?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.