Do Not Fret But Follow

Introducing this section is this broad encompassing statement which could be summed up as "do not worry, period." As Christians who have been graciously given salvation, there is nothing we lack (Romans 8:32). Though we may for a time (or even our whole lives) go without certain earthly pleasures, we have an eternal inheritance that cannot be shaken, regardless of our treasures here on earth. Thus, we should not worry in the least. For in reality we have nothing of significance to worry about!
God who has given us both life and our body will give us the necessary things to take care of each. We may not often understand why we must wait for certain items, but we can rest assured that the God who graciously bestowed us with our lives and bodies to use, will give us the proper items to take care of these precious gifts in His glorious timing.

In His great work of creation God created many wonderful and pleasant things, of which "birds of the air" are among. As Creator, God cares for these precious birds of His by providing their food when necessary and guiding their patterns of living. Though they may be small in size and stature, the Lord loves and cares for these birds constantly.
Now, are we not "much more valuable than they?" The logical answer here is "yes we are!" For humanity has been created as the pinnacle of God's creation; the finest of all of it. So if God cares for creations less valuable than ourselves, certainly He immensely cares for us His chosen people. This kind of knowledge is what gives us the confidence and ability to not worry; the power for not worrying (as commanded in this passage) arises solely from this intimate knowledge - that God loves and cares for us deeply and is willing to do much for us, more than we can even think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

In order for a person to worry they must take time doing so. There is no way to worry without using up time. And there is no reason to worry, because we are commanded not to worry. So to worry is to disobey Jesus' command and waste our time. So rather than adding a hour to our lives, we take many away by worrying.

It should be obvious, but if you want to be tall, you wouldn't consider worrying as a strategy to get there. In fact, worrying will probably add stress to your life which, coupled with other factors, could actually stunt your growth. So, rather than adding to our height, we may be less tall by worrying. But most importantly, we must not worry because Jesus has told us not to engage in this destructive practice.

The lilies of the field grow precisely how God intends them to grow. He "clothes the grass of the field" in exactly the fashion He desires. Both the lilies and the grass have something in common - they are here today and gone tomorrow. In other words, they are only temporary; they are bound to die. Yet, God is intricately working to sustain these plants.
As has been previously stated from v. 26, we as people have been created as the apex of creation. We are high above all other created things, which God cares for deeply. Logically we must deduce from these verses that God must care so much more for us as His beloved people! Yes, indeed He does! Ponder the implications of this glorious truth...
Too often we are characterized as people of "little faith". We allow our circumstances to bog us down and we end up disobeying Jesus' words here by giving in to our desires to fret and worry over this life. It's meaningless to do such things, as hopefully we are learning from this passage. Instead we ought to be like Peter who at the prompting of Jesus, though he probably was greatly afraid, climbed out of a boat and into the water to go to where Jesus was at (Matthew 14:28-29). This is a giant step of faith! May we likewise take such leaps!

The main argument of this passage is summed up here by method of repetition. Take heed and do not worry about such things as food, drink, and clothing because God will provide when we properly seek Him (v. 33).

It's not hard to take a look around in this world and find many people chasing after things they do not have. For those who are in desperation, they very well might be seeking the very things listed in this passage - food, drink, and clothing. Without Christ in their lives they are promised none of what they seek. No matter their charity or greed, without belief in Jesus Christ their end will be the same - eternal death - regardless of where they are in the eyes of the world upon death. Rather than "run after all these things", these people ought to be running after God with sincere interest in Him. This interest comes only from God, and our prayer as Christians must be for God to use us as means to bring about this result in people's lives! For His glory we must pray!
Our righteous Father knows what we need; how wonderful and so true! Surely by now we have read of enough promises to keep us from worrying again! But we do live in the flesh, so we must be in constant prayer for God to remind us of the plethora of Truth that is Jesus Christ (John 14:6)!

This verse highlights the way in which we cast aside the worries of this world - by taking up the desires of God and delighting in His divine providence. Rather than seek things the world allegedly can give, we must seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteous, and in so doing we will receive ample worldly needs. How glorious! We get what we need here on earth not by serving ourselves, but by serving God! Rather than a "me first" or a "looking out for #1" kind of attitude, we must have a "God first" or "looking out for His will" kind of attitude. This is what it means to be a true follower of Christ - to seek to know and do the will of the One you're following. Otherwise, if this type of seeking isn't your goal, you are not truly a follower by definition. A true follower of Christ will have as his or her sole mission the advancement of Christ's Kingdom and the praise of His name! Ask yourself - "is this my goal?" If not, repent and pray for immediate change within your heart and mind. We are called to be His disciples, and real disciples go with an attitude of "Him first" wherever their Master leads them. Will you follow this awesome King with all of your heart??

Again the main theme is repeated to close up this section - "do not worry". Earlier on the author discussed three main items of which we must never worry over - food, drink, and clothes. Now the author vastly extends this list to everything tomorrow could hold (which is a lot by the way!). The point being that we have no legitimate thing to be worrying about, nor a legitimate reason to ever worry. So don't worry...ever again...by God's grace!
We must live our life in the present, for God has given us enough things to work through and deal with today in the great strength He provides. Let us receive this strength by daily following after our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for He is the only source of such divine help and hope. If you do not know of such hope, I implore you to repent of your sins, turn to Christ with faith in His finished work at the cross, and be saved today! Know that you are not saved because you've done enough good or not worried too much, but rather your salvation would be because of His divine mercy and election. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today, for He is the only hope for the world!!