He knows

are my prayers too small?

I’ll be honest: my head hasn’t been in the game for the last few days. We got a bit of scary news the other day that’s got me frazzled.[1. For those curious, it’s nothing life threatening. Just more hassles related to our move to America.] A few days ago, I could barely sleep. I got maybe four hours, split up into fits and spurts. Each day since has been progressively getting better in that regard, but the issue is still sitting in the back of my mind, stealing brain power that I would rather have directed to something I can deal with.

So as you can imagine, I’ve been praying a lot. Like a lot a lot, which is a good thing in times like this. And as I’ve prayed, I keep coming back to Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus’ word for those of us who might be struggling with anxiety over the cares of the world.

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 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.

Jesus was and is right when he said that worry won’t actually a moment to my life, but this is not a message condemning my anxiety over this particular issue. Instead, my eyes keep falling on four words, “your heavenly Father knows.”

These words have been so much comfort to me over the last week, if for no other reason than they’re true. He knows about this situation; he is sovereign over it. He knows what will happen, because he is sovereign over that, too. He knows what I need in every circumstance.

He knows. And that is enough to get me through today.

Posted by Aaron Armstrong

Aaron is the author of several books for adults and children, as well as multiple documentaries and Bible studies. His latest book, I'm a Christian—Now What?: A Guide to Your New Life with Christ is available now.