Day 7

Do not worry! Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry.

But in truth, they are what cause anxiety. The heart which clings to goods receives with them the choking burden of worry.

Worry collects treasures, and treasures produce more worries.

We desire to secure our lives with earthly goods; we want our worrying to make us worry-free, but the truth is the opposite.

The chains which bind us to earthly goods, the clutches which hold the goods tight, are themselves worries.

Abuse of earthly goods consists of using them as a security for the next day.

Worry is always directed toward tomorrow.

But the goods are intended only for today in the strictest sense.

It is our securing things for tomorrow which makes us so insecure today. It is enough that each day should have its own troubles. Only those who put tomorrow completely into God's hand and receive fully today what they need for their lives are really secure.

Receiving daily liberates me from tomorrow.

Biblical Wisdom

Matthew 6:33-34

"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Questions to Ponder

If "worry collects treasures, and treasures produce more worries," how might one stop worrying?

How can we tell the difference between what we really "need" for our lives and what we think we need but really only want?

Can we be content with what we really need?

Practically speaking, what would it mean to stop our "abuse of earthly goods"

and "put tomorrow completely into God's hand"?

Psalm Fragment

Psalm 36:7-9

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!All humanity finds shelterin the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life,the light by which we see.

Journal Reflections

Write down your worries of today.

Reflect on why you have these worries.

How many of them have to do with things you have or want to have?

Explore ways in which trusting God for today and tomorrow might relieve your worry and fear.

Intercessions

Pray for the people you know who are worried or afraid. Ask God to deliver them from their worries by increasing their trust in God's providential care.

Prayer for Today

Lord, I place my worries in your gracious hand and live this day trusting that you are with me and that what I have is more than I need.

Day 7

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Today's Prayer

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O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. – from the Book of Common Prayer

Today's Scripture Reading: Romans 8:31-39

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; / we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today's Quote

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“When we go before God in prayer with a cold, dull heart, and in a lifeless and listless manner pray to him for eternal blessings . . . we should think of Christ’s earnest prayers that he poured out to God, with tears and a bloody sweat. The consideration of it may well make us ashamed of our dull, lifeless prayers to God, [in which] we rather ask a denial than ask to be heard; for the language of such a manner of praying to God is that we do not look upon the benefit that we pray for as of any great importance, that we are indifferent whether God answers us or not. The example of Jacob in wrestling with God for the blessing should teach us earnestness in our prayers, but more especially the example of Jesus Christ, who wrestled with God in a bloody sweat. If we were sensible as Christ was of the great importance of those benefits that are of eternal consequence, our prayers to God for such benefits would be after another manner than now they are. Our souls also would with earnest labor and strife be engaged in this duty.” – Jonathan Edwards, 18th century preacher and missionary

Something to Think About…Did you choose to give something up for Lent? Have you kept to that commitment? Whether or not you have, what has the experience taught you?