Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:34)
I worried a lot when I was a young boy. I wanted to please all the adults in my life—my teachers, my pastor, and my parents—and I often fretted about the ways in which I felt myself falling short. When I was worried and had trouble falling asleep, my mother would often pat my back and repeat this verse to me, always in the King James: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
On the face of it, this does not seem like it should calm our worries—after all, it’s only reminding us that there is more trouble coming tomorrow. Yet there is something deeply comforting about this message, because when we reflect we know that God has indeed taken care of today’s trouble. Therefore, he also can be trusted to take care of tomorrow’s trouble.
When we lie in bed, tomorrow’s troubles can seem so huge: the meeting that we are fearing, the project that is due but not quite done, the relationship that seems like it will never be repaired, the child who will not return to the church. This verse reminds us that we can turn tomorrow’s troubles to God. Tomorrow, there will be a time and place for our effort, but right now we can happily reflect on God’s help in today’s troubles, remembering that tomorrow is in his hands.
Rejoice in God’s action today and give tomorrow to him.
Michael Jordan is the dean of the chapel at Houghton College (New York), where he also serves as chair of the department of biblical studies, theology, and philosophy.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
