The Lilies of the Field

Transcription

1 The Lilies of the Field ON ONE occasion a very large number of people gathered to hear Jesus preach the gospel of the kingdom and to be healed by him. The account is in the twelfth chapter of Luke. We read in the first verse that "there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another." The Diaglott translation says that "the crowd... assembled by tens of thousands so that they trampled on each other." But Jesus wanted to especially teach his disciples that day and warn them about something. So after ministering to the crowd, he drew his disciples aside to have an intimate talk with them. The Scribes and Pharisees had been getting particularly vicious of late. Jesus had exposed their evil deeds and they reacted with murderous intent. So he warned his disciples, saying, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Then he told his disciples not to be afraid of them and assured them of God s particular care saying, in the sixth verse, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?" Mt 10:29 makes these words of Jesus even more meaningful: "And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father." He went on to say, "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." It was hard for his disciples, and it is hard for us, to conceive of the Almighty God who is so very great taking notice of things as small and insignificant as sparrows, caring whether one of them falls to the ground or not. But it must be so. Didn t he create the sparrow? Didn t he design its organism? Didn t he make its bones hollow and light and at the same time shaped and braced for maximum strength? Didn t he design its wings, and arrange its colorful feathers to permit graceful flight? Didn t he give it a coat of down and higher temperature than other animals to keep it warm? Didn t he put a song in its heart and implant in its little head unerring instincts which rival the highest navigational skills of civilized man? Of course he marks the sparrows fall! He has regard for every living thing that he has made. He loves them all. He himself called them "very good." (Ge 1:31) We read of him in Ps 145:16, "Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Nothing is too small for God to notice. But it is so different in the world. Big important men of the world "can t be bothered" with little things and little people. But the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, notices and cares. Jesus told us about the sparrows on this occasion to teach us that we, the Lord s people, are his special and particular care, "Of more value than many sparrows." Do you realize that to a child of God, nothing happens by accident? This is so, because "all things work together for their good." As in the case of the sparrow, "Not one of them shall fall... without your Father!" Every incident in life has meaning for us and is for our good, for our highest spiritual welfare. It is so different with the world in general. With them God permits the wrath of men and of Satan to have free sway, to bring misfortune and calamities without rhyme or reason except as it provides an experience with sin. But the wrath of men and of Satan has no indiscriminate power over us. This is shown by Joh 19:10, 11. Pilate said to Jesus, "Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee?" Jesus replied, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." Remember that Jesus was not speaking to an insignificant person when he said this. He was speaking to the governor, one representing the universal empire of Rome, the highest power in the world at the time. He said that even Pilate had "no power at all" against him unless permitted by God. This was true of Christ and it is true of every member of the body of Christ. We are on an entirely different basis than the world. Every experience we have is permitted and designed by God, to work something good to us. As Paul said, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory." 2Co 4:17 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." This is a beautiful figure of speech showing how intimately God knows us and understands us. He knows all about us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We do not know the number of hairs upon our heads. David expressed the same thought: 1

2 "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Ps 139:1-5 Yes, he knows us "altogether" even to the number of hairs upon our heads! I m going to read the fifth verse from Leeser: "Behind and before, hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me, thy hand." The Lord has hedged us in completely surrounded us by his loving providences, and his hand is in all our affairs, small and great. At this point in Jesus teaching of his disciples there was an interruption. Apparently, some of the large crowd had followed Jesus and were "listening in" to his instruction. Although Jesus words to his disciples were sublime words, they did not appeal particularly to others. What did they care about the sparrows and hairs of the head? So one of the crowd interrupted Jesus to present a personal financial problem which he thought more important. After all Jesus was considered a learned and influential rabbi. So we read, starting with Lu 12:13: "And one of the company said unto him, Master speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me." This man s father had apparently left everything to his brother, perhaps for good reason, but he wanted to get his hands on some of the money. "And he [Jesus] said unto him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider over you?" Then, although he refused to comply with the man s request, he took this opportunity to teach them all, his disciples and the others alike, a valuable lesson of general application. "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns, and I will build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool! This night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Here Jesus reiterated a common fact of life, summed up by the modern expression, "You can t take it with you." Solomon said the same thing in Ec 6:1, 2: "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men. A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth; yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease." By this parable Jesus told the man who coveted his brother s inheritance, and all others who desire wealth, "It really isn t worth it. It isn t worth all the conniving, all the scheming. It isn t worth the sweat, and toil, and tears. Even if you do amass great wealth, you will never live long enough to enjoy it. After all your labor, you will have to leave it behind. There is much more to life than the feverish ambition for riches." As Jesus expressed it: "A man s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses." Did you know that at the end of the parable he told of a way that you can take it with you? He gave an alternative; he spoke of being "rich toward God." He thus contrasted the "laying up of treasures on earth, " as the man in the parable had done, with the more excellent way of "laying up of treasure in heaven" and thus being really "rich toward God." As he had previously told them, in his sermon on the mount, Mt 6:19-21: 2

3 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Where are our hearts? Our hearts are beyond the veil. We have set our hearts on heavenly things, on the heavenly kingdom, to live and reign with Christ. By our preparation for that kingdom, by the development of the mind of the New Creature, we are laying up in heaven the great treasure of glory, honor and immortality, and the privilege of participating in the kingdom work of blessing the world. Thus we are "rich toward God." This teaching of Jesus emphasizing heavenly things and the relative unimportance of earthly things led up to the beautiful lesson of Mt 6:25-34 which has comforted the hearts and soothed the minds of Christians throughout the centuries: "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek); for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." These verses written 2000 years ago have astonished modern psychiatrists because they embody principles completely in harmony with the latest scientific findings regarding mental health. Some doctors actually prescribe the reading and memorizing of these verses in the treatment of psychosomatic illnesses. Well they might because the wisdom given here is that of the one who designed and created the human mind. This is the very wisdom of God. All of Jesus teachings were of God. Jesus told us so: "The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me." Joh 14:10 Anxiety kills and incapacitates more people than any other single factor. A large number of diseases are induced by uncontrolled anxiety. But Jesus did not give these teachings to his disciples to cure their illnesses or keep them physically well. They are for our spiritual health. If we appropriate them to ourselves, we will obtain the blessing promised in Php 4:7: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." We need this "peace of God" so much these days. The present evil world is disintegrating all about us with horrible grinding noise. Masses of humanity are in turmoil and rebellion. Law and order are breaking down. We are living in the days of the fulfillment of Lu 21:25, 26: "Upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." But amid all this the Lord s people are able to enjoy the "peace of God which passeth all understanding." The disciples of old could not understand the peacefulness of Jesus during a storm at sea, related in Mr 4:37-39: "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." If we can learn and take to heart the lesson Jesus gave us in Mt 6:25-34, we too will experience a great calm. The restlessness and storms of the world will no longer affect us. 3

4 4 What Did Jesus Really Mean? Before we consider what these sayings of Jesus mean, let us first consider what they do not mean. When Jesus said "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on, " he did not encourage us to carelessness or sloth. He did not mean that we should go to bed without having, to the best of our ability taken thought and made preparation for the morning meal. He did not mean that we should expect clothes to grow upon our backs as feathers do upon sparrows or adornment upon lilies. How do we know he did not mean this? Because there are many plain scriptures to the contrary. For example, Ro 12:11 admonishes us to be "not slothful in business." Ro 12:17 says to "provide things honest in the sight of all men." Eph 4:28 advises the man of God to "labour, working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have, to give to him that needeth." 1Ti 5:8 positively states that "if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." There is much other scriptural evidence as well. Did not our Lord reprove the idlers in the parable of the vineyard? (Mt 20:6) Did he not call the slothful servant wicked, in the parable of the talents? (Mt 25:26) Did he not hold up to scorn the thoughtless builder who began constructing a tower without taking thought whether he could finish it? (Lu 14:28-30) It is written in Pr 6:6, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise." Is it not the ant s custom to lay up provision in advance of necessity? Besides the Creator s method of having a plan and working all things towards its accomplishment certainly does not indicate that he would approve of carelessness, thoughtlessness, improvidence or any such thing. Let us not suppose that these words of the Master teach that people should not make reasonable provision for their own needs and comfort, and to arrange matters that they might not be dependent upon charity in their old age. Let us not suppose that he meant that parents should be neglectful of their duties toward dependent members of their own families. On the contrary, the entire tenor of the scriptures indicate that God s people are to be frugal, to avoid debts, to be "forehanded," and to be with some reserve of capital. Economy is a part of the divine arrangement. This was clearly illustrated by our Lord Jesus. Although he had the power to create food for a great multitude, he nevertheless instructed his disciples to gather up the fragments that remained so that they might be utilized for another meal. He thus taught conservation of resources and condemned wastefulness. Having determined what our Lord did not mean by his reference to the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field, let us now consider what he did mean and avail ourselves of the peace of mind and heart he desired to convey to us by this lesson. "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?" The Diaglott interlinear says more correctly, "Be not over-anxious about your life, what you shall eat... nor about your body, what you shall wear." Jesus knew of the corrosive effect of fear and anxiety upon the mind. He knew that to be overly anxious about earthly things would be a special hindrance to those walking the narrow way. So he told them not to worry unduly about such things. The apostle expresses the same thought in Php 4:6 [Diaglott interlinear]: "Be not over- anxious about anything." As we have seen, this does not refer to a proper care and sense of responsibility regarding our affairs but refers to extreme worry, an anxiety that would rob the soul of rest and peace, indicating a lack of faith in the Lord and in his care for his people. We should

5 always realize that the Lord s care over us is thorough and complete. Ps 37:23 says that all our steps are ordered of the Lord. Ps 84:11 tells us that no good thing is withheld from us. This is confirmed by Ro 8:28, that all things are made to work together for our good. We are constantly under the Lord s particular care because 1Pe 3:12 assures us that the eyes of the Lord are ever upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. Then Jesus said, "Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" Luke renders this text (12:24), "Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls?" Considering the ravens brings to mind the experiences of Elijah, related in 1 Kings chapter 17. Ahab was an exceedingly wicked king of Israel the worst one they had ever had. 1Ki 16:33 tells us that "Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." He consorted with Jezebel. He was morally corrupt and led Israel into the most detestable idolatry. As a punishment, God decreed that there should be no dew nor rain upon the land. This was serious because they had no means of irrigation except drawing water by hand from wells. So it would mean a complete crop failure and resulting famine. Elijah delivered the Lord s decree to Ahab and was then directed to flee from the king s vengeance and hide by a certain brook. We read the account from 1Ki 17:4-6: "And it shall be that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went, and did according unto the word of the Lord; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook." Various efforts have been made to discount the miracle implied here but there is no reason to believe that the account is not literally true. To this day the open-air bazaars of the east must always guard against ravens plundering their stalls, and it is very likely that Elijah was thus fed from the bazaars of nearby Jerusalem or Jericho by ravens nesting at the brook by which he hid. In any case the lesson to us is one of divine care and providence over those who are devoted to God s service. We may be sure that he who sustained Elijah can equally sustain us and, if necessary, by means just as unusual and unconventional. Then Jesus said, "Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature?" The Diaglott renders it more accurately: "Which of you, by being over-anxious, can prolong his life one moment?" This emphasizes the utter futility and foolishness of worrying about things beyond our control. It is foolish for the world to do so and leads them to nervous breakdowns. It is particularly absurd for the Lord s people to do so, because the things beyond our control are under the complete control and under the firm guiding hand of our loving Heavenly Father. Did not Jesus say in Lu 18:27, "The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God"? In order to attain the rest of soul promised we must learn to develop a complete reliance upon God. If we are faced with a seemingly impossible situation, we should first do all we can and then say to the Lord: "This thing is beyond me. I can do nothing more. Please take over for me, and do what is best." In this we will comply with Ps 55:22: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Having done this, we should dismiss all anxiety from our minds and completely relax. David did this, as he said in Ps 3:4, 5: "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me... I laid me down and slept." The Lord is entirely capable of handling every situation. He is a merciful God and his powers are limitless. "The Psalmist says, The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Ps 145:9, 16) This sweeping statement takes in the utmost bounds of the material universe, and also the humblest, as well as the 5

6 most exalted, sentient being. The whole creation is his care. Jehovah, our God, is the great Emperor of the whole universe and his wisdom, power, goodness, and benevolence are abundantly equal to all the responsibilities of so exalted an office. The human mind staggers in its efforts to comprehend the mental resources of a being who is able to assume and to bear such responsibility. Think for a moment of the memory that never fails; of the judgment that never errs; of the wisdom that plans for eternity without the possibility of failure, and that times that plan with unerring precision for the ages to come; of the power and skill which can harness even every opposing element, animate or inanimate, and make them all work together for the accomplishment of his grand designs; of the tireless vigilance that never ceases, nor seeks relief from the pressing cares of universal dominion; whose eye never sleeps, whose ear is ever open, and who is ever cognizant of all the necessities, and active in all the interests of his broad domains. Well has the Psalmist said, in consideration of the immensity and the minutiae of God s providences over all his works : Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high; I cannot attain unto it! Ps 139:6" Now we come to that part of the lesson which is the most beautiful of all. Jesus said, "And why take ye thought [or, are over-anxious] for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Continuing from the Diaglott: "Therefore, be not over-anxious, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? [Luke s account adds in 12:29: "And be not in restless suspense."] For all the nations require these things; and your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of these things. But seek you first his righteousness and kingdom; and all these things shall be super-added to you." It is interesting to note that our Lord did not choose a hot-house plant but chose a flower of the field for his illustration. The lily of the field grows under exposed conditions. It thrives under such conditions because the great Creator has arranged for its best interests. This does not mean that the plant is idle. If it were idle, it would die. It is not idle by any means. It continually sends forth roots and absorbs and avails itself of the nourishment provided. But does the lily grow by worrying? No. It merely uses the opportunities that come to it. It reaches out for them. By so doing it develops and matures and blossoms and has an exquisite organism which, even under the microscope, displays a breath-taking beauty. The lesson is obvious. The field is the world. The Lord has placed us in an exposed and seemingly unfavorable environment. Nevertheless his providences are so arranged that his people grow, thrive, and become very beautiful in the character-likeness of the Lord; in his eyes more beautiful than Solomon in all his glory. Other Spiritual Lessons Now let us go back in review and see what further spiritual lessons may be derived from these sayings of Jesus. When Jesus told his disciples, "Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life," he referred to life laid down. As he said in Joh 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did so, as he said in Joh 10:15: "I lay down my life for the sheep." We also lay down our lives, with his, as expressed in Col 3:3: "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." In this sense we should take no over-anxious thought for our human lives which are on the altar of sacrifice. We should say, as Paul did, "Neither count I my life dear unto myself." (Ac 20:24) Our primary interest should be our spiritual lives, to live and reign with Christ. 6

7 Jesus referred to food: "Take no thought... what ye shall eat." He spoke of how the Heavenly Father feeds the fowls of the air. For us there is food much more important than bread and meat. Satan tried to over-emphasize the importance of material food, but Jesus replied, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Mt 4:4) As food is scattered for birds to feed upon and satisfy their hunger, ample and rich spiritual food is provided for those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness." Mt 5:6 The food upon which we feed should not be a fluid, changeable thing this way today, that way tomorrow. This is not conducive to peace of mind. It produces agitation, uncertainty. The real truth is something in which we can become established. The apostle says, "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though ye know them, and be established in the present truth." (2Pe 1:12) "Remembrance" does not mean something new. We cannot remember what we have never known before. So the apostle does not here speak of new and strange things but old established truths, the same old truths that the Lord completely restored to his Church at this end of the age. (Mt 24:45-47) It is only by holding on to the old truths the Lord has thus given us that peace of mind and heart can be maintained. Jesus said, "Besides, which of you, by being over-anxious, can prolong his life one moment?" Some today are over-anxious as to when the Messianic phase of the Kingdom will be openly manifested in power and glory upon the earth. "We have waited 2000 years for the Kingdom to come," they say. "We couldn t bear to have to wait another hundred years!" This is not a valid statement. Nobody has waited 2000 years and no one will have to wait another hundred years. None of us has waited any longer than the few years of his consecrated life and no one will wait a moment longer than the end of his human existence. Let us not be over-anxious about this. The Messianic Kingdom will be openly manifest to the world exactly on time regardless of any anxiety on our part. Jesus spoke of raiment and how God so splendidly clothed the lilies of the field that they rivaled even Solomon s glory. Then he asked, "Shall he not much more clothe you?" He was referring to more than earthly clothing. He was referring to that glorious robe of Christ s righteousness with which we are arrayed, a robe which covers our imperfections and makes us beautiful indeed, which makes us acceptable to God and enables us to "seek the kingdom of God." Compared to this glorious robe, our human wants are insignificant. God knows all the things we need as natural men. As it is written, "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." (Mt 6:8) Jesus added, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." The Diaglott says "super-added to you," signifying abundance. God is very generous. Now we come to the final admonition of Jesus on this occasion: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." The Diaglott reads: "Be not over-anxious, then, about the morrow; for the morrow will claim anxiety for itself. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." It is so foolish and inconsistent for the Lord s people to worry about the morrow. It indicates a lack of faith. Worrying about the future is simply a refusal to take God at His word. Has He not said, "I will surely do thee good?" (Ge 32:12) Are we not told, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them?" (Ps 34:7) It is written, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." (Isa 54:17) Also, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Heb 13:5) These are definite and positive promises of God. It is written in 1Ki 8:56, "There hath not failed one word of all His good promise." We should remind ourselves of how the Lord has dealt with us in the past, thinking often of His providential leadings of the past, and remember that He has not changed! 7

8 By worrying about the future we bring ourselves down to the level of those described in Lu 21:26: "Men s hearts failing them for fear; and for looking after those things which are coming." We should not be on this level. On the contrary, our hearts should be full of happy anticipation of good things from our Heavenly Father. We read, "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Mal 3:10) We should expect a plentitude of blessing from the Lord, and nothing but good because we are promised that everything is working for our good. Our only concern should be whether we have room enough to receive the abundance of spiritual blessings promised. Make room and they will come. After all why should we, his children, anticipate evil from God? Has he given us reason to do so? How would you like it if your children always anticipated evil from you? As Jesus put it in Lu 11:11-13: "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish, give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will ye offer him a scorpion? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father." Do you remember the happy and carefree days of your childhood? Rich or poor, your loving parents supplied everything you needed. Did you have to worry about what you would eat or wear, or whether you would have shelter the next day? No. Such a thought never entered your mind. You would have been surprised if anyone suggested such a thing. You had parents, didn t you? That was enough. Why can t we have the same reliance upon our Heavenly Father, as we did upon our earthly father? He is much more loving and powerful and reliable. So instead of taking anxious thought, let us joyfully anticipate tomorrow. It is tomorrow when we will gain an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2Pe 1:11) All the good things promised to the poor groaning creation are coming tomorrow. In the world of tomorrow, now so close, physical restitution blessings will flow to the people of the world. Tomorrow death will be abolished. It is tomorrow that Re 21:4, 5 will be accomplished: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there by any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new!" Now the world is filled with fear and fear is contagious; it is catching. We must guard our hearts and minds against the fear that is saturating the world. To do this we must constantly refresh ourselves with God s Word and revealed truth, and keep close to God in prayer. As the apostle sums it up: "Be not over-anxious about anything; but in everything let your petitions be made known to God, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. And that peace of God which surpasses all conception, shall guard your hearts, and your minds by Christ Jesus." Php 4:6, 7, Diaglott Let us avail ourselves of this wonderful peace! 8