Worry Is Worthless: God Takes Care of You

by Charles Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way

Editor’s Note: Wisdom for the Way collects some of Swindoll's most classic insights into daily bite-size readings. Gleaned from the book of Proverbs, these devotions are wise words for busy people on topics such as contentment, character, work, and worship. Here are two short devotions on worry and trusting in God’s care for us. Worry Is Worthless My soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. — Psalm 57:1 Worry is a complete waste of energy. It solves nothing. That’s why Jesus said, Which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? — Matthew 6:27 In essence He was saying, “You go to bed tonight and fret and fuss because you’re not five feet, eleven inches; you’re only five feet, nine inches. But when you wake up in the morning, you’re still going to be five feet, nine inches.” Worry will never make you stretch! And it won’t solve that anxiety on your mind either. Let me be completely candid here. Do you know why we worry? We have a quiet, hidden, love for worry. We enjoy it! When one worry is gone, we replace it with another. There’s always a line of worries waiting to get in the door. So as one goes out the back door, we usher in the next one through the front door. We enjoy entertaining them. Worries are our mental and emotional companions. But Jesus says, in effect, that they’re worthless! God Takes Care of You Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:15 Did you know that worry erases the promises of God from your mind. Jesus implies this when He says, O men of little faith. Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ — Matthew 6:31 The promise of God is that He will not allow His children to beg for bread. He will care for our needs and that’s the promise you can claim. Since He took care of our greatest need at Calvary by giving us Christ, then you can be sure He will take care of everything else He considers important for us.