“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:27

So it is useless to worry! A short person cannot, by any amount of anxiety, make himself an inch taller. Why, therefore, should he waste his energy and fret his life away–in wishing he were taller?

One worries because he is too short–another because he is too tall; one worries because he too lean–another because he is too heavy; one worries because he has a lame foot–another because he has a mole on his face. No amount of fretting will change any of these things!

People worry, too, over their circumstances. They are poor, and have to work hard. They have troubles, losses, and disappointments which come through causes entirely beyond their own control. They find difficulties in their environment which they cannot surmount. There are hard conditions in their lot which they cannot change.

Now why should they worry about these things? Will worrying make matters any better? Will discontent . . . cure the blind eye, or remove the ugly mole, or give health to the infirm body?

Will chafing make . . .the hard work, lighter; or the burdens, easier; or the troubles, fewer?

Will anxiety . . .keep the winter away, or keep the storm from rising, or put coal in the cellar, or put bread in the pantry, or get clothes for the children?

Even human reason shows the uselessness of worrying, since it helps nothing, and only wastes one’s strength and unfits one for doing one’s best!

The Christian gospel goes farther, and says that even the hard things and the obstacles, are blessings–if we meet them in the right spirit. They are stepping-stones lifting our feet upward–disciplinary experiences in which we grow.

So we learn that we should quietly, and with faith in God’s Providence, accept life as it comes to us–fretting at nothing, yet changing hard conditions to easier ones if we can. And if we cannot–then we must use them as means for growth and advancement.

– J.R. Miller, “Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ” 1890

1. The Clearest understanding of the Gospel, Col. 1:14
2. The Gladdest embrace of God, Ps. 100
3. The Thirstiest passion for the Word of God, Ps. 119
4.  The Keenest inclination for repentance, Ps. 51
5. The Hottest desire for holiness,1 Pet. 1:16
6. The Sweetest harmony in marriage, Eph. 5:22-33
7. The Quickest pursuit of reconciliation, Eph. 4:26
8. The Highest investment in the church, Eph. 1:23; 5:32
9. The Biggest vision for life, 1 Cor. 10:31
10. The Liveliest, zippiest daily life, Deut. 6:1-9
11. The Sharpest conception of marriage, Eph. 5:22-33
12. The Tightest embrace of biblical manhood and womanhood, Tit. 2
13. The Strongest sense of the sovereignty of God, Dan. 4
14. The Hungriest desire to worship the one true God, John 4:23
15. The Humblest acts of service toward the needy, Prov. 19:7

What happens when something falls apart around you? One of the most encouraging things I see as a pastor (or a father) is when I see people in the church or my children in times of distress and they grow stronger and softer, sweeter and deeper than they were before. The trials bring forth fruit instead of failure. Our family saw an example of the opposite when we wee reading 2 Chronicles 28:22 this week,

“Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD.”

1. The Clearest understanding of the Gospel, Col. 1:14
2. The Gladdest embrace of God, Ps. 100
3. The Thirstiest passion for the Word of God, Ps. 119
4.  The Keenest inclination for repentance, Ps. 51
5. The Hottest desire for holiness,1 Pet. 1:16
6. The Sweetest harmony in marriage, Eph. 5:22-33
7. The Quickest pursuit of reconciliation, Eph. 4:26
8. The Highest investment in the church, Eph. 1:23; 5:32
9. The Biggest vision for life, 1 Cor. 10:31
10. The Liveliest, zippiest daily life, Deut. 6:1-9
11. The Sharpest conception of marriage, Eph. 5:22-33
12. The Tightest embrace of biblical manhood and womanhood, Tit. 2
13. The Strongest sense of the sovereignty of God, Dan. 4

Here are my grandsons, Triumph and Knox, making their way through the Military Obstacle Course that we set up for Memorial Day. With an imaginary sniper bunkered down in a fox hole, teams of young soldiers tried to complete the obstacle course. The course started with a low crawl under stands of wire, then the young soldiers advance and launched their dummy grenades at the fox hole. Next they had to use their rifles to bayonet some sand bags that were posing as enemy soldiers. The final task of their mission was to advance the U.S. flag to the top of the hill and plant it in victory.

Please accept my invitation to join my grandsons, Triumph and Knox (pictured above), for our annual Old-Fashioned Memorial Day Picnic.

Yesterday, I was on the radio at AM 1030 with Steve Noble talking about Memorial Day:

Come join Steve Noble, myself, and hundreds of other people at an old-fashioned Memorial Day Picnic as we seek to rebuild a culture of honor, praise God for His mercy to us, and proclaim the gospel.

(J.R. Miller, “Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ” 1890)

“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:27

So it is useless to worry! A short person cannot, by any amount of anxiety, make himself an inch taller. Why, therefore, should he waste his energy and fret his life away–in wishing he were taller?

One worries because he is too short–another because he is too tall; one worries because he too lean–another because he is too heavy; one worries because he has a lame foot–another because he has a mole on his face. No amount of fretting will change any of these things!

People worry, too, over their circumstances. They are poor, and have to work hard. They have troubles, losses, and disappointments which come through causes entirely beyond their own control. They find difficulties in their environment which they cannot surmount. There are hard conditions in their lot which they cannot change.

Now why should they worry about these things? Will worrying make matters any better? Will discontent . . . cure the blind eye, or remove the ugly mole, or give health to the infirm body?

Will chafing make . . .the hard work, lighter; or the burdens, easier; or the troubles, fewer?

Will anxiety . . .keep the winter away, or keep the storm from rising, or put coal in the cellar, or put bread in the pantry, or get clothes for the children?

Even human reason shows the uselessness of worrying, since it helps nothing, and only wastes one’s strength and unfits one for doing one’s best!

The Christian gospel goes farther, and says that even the hard things and the obstacles, are blessings–if we meet them in the right spirit. They are stepping-stones lifting our feet upward–disciplinary experiences in which we grow.

So we learn that we should quietly, and with faith in God’s Providence, accept life as it comes to us–fretting at nothing, yet changing hard conditions to easier ones if we can. And if we cannot–then we must use them as means for growth and advancement.