Don’t Worry About Tomorrow
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: - Matthew 6:34 “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”.
OPENING:- Now I have stated for a long time about preaching against politics I don’t believe that as preachers we are to use our platforms to endorse a certain candidate or promote a certain political party, I have stated who I would vote for and I wish everyone would vote like me but that your vote is your personal choice and has nothing to do with your salvation or your relationship with God, there is no Biblical mandate that says you have to vote Democrat or Republican, but that we give unto Ceasar that which belongs to Ceasar and unto God that which belongs unto God. As a matter of fact I have taught as the Bible says in 1Timothy 2:1-4 says “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”.
Now since the election in November I have had a feeling of queasiness in the pit of my stomach especially as I seen Donald Trump is surrounding himself with billionaires like Elon Musk Vivek Ramaswamy Bezos Zuckerberg and other loyalist who are determined to carry out his every whim and desire without seemingly any regard for the welfare and sanctity of human decency or life at all.
As I watched the circus take place with the questioning of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary and how he slithered and cunningly maneuvered his way through the questioning avoiding answering the simplest of questions, how he subtly stated there is no time for Equity in our military only Equality. As a veteran still serving veterans, I was appalled by the words that were coming out of his mouth and all I could see were freedoms diminishing, benefits, diminishing, rights diminishing and democracy going down the proverbial toilet. As the week began to draw on and we began to get closer and closer the January 20th the 2nd inauguration of Donald Trump as the President of the United States I even began to worry what will tomorrow bring. Then on Wednesday night I listened as President Biden gave his farewell address and how he warned of the oligarchy that was forming around the incoming administration and the dangers of losing our democracy and my heart grew heavier and heavier. I began worrying what are we going to do, we can’t just go and move out of the country like some people are doing, we can’t go and live on a cruise ship for the next four years. I was truly getting into a place of discouragement, someone maybe thinking you Bishop – yes because even Jesus said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and my flesh was weak when I was looking at what is happening, and I was looking with the natural eye.
As my wife and I were talking and I was telling her how I felt she began trying to encourage me, she said God put in her spirit 37. She read Psalm 37 and how it said 1-16 “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked”.
Now let me be honest that is the Word of God, but I wasn’t hearing it because sometimes we can get something fixed in our minds and God must do something different to get your attention. I heard what my wife was saying, I knew what the scripture was saying but I wasn’t receiving it because I was so wrapped up in me, in my own understanding and my own issues.
See you hear how Trump has stated and how these different companies are reversing their DEI policies. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and regardless of personal beliefs and opinions or religious understanding DEI Policies have opened doors and opportunities for people in many ways that would not have been available otherwise. My position in the Veterans Administration deals directly with DEI within the VA, it is called IDEA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Acceptance and it deals with ensuring people have the opportunity and access to everything available like everyone else does regardless of race, gender, disabilities, sexual orientation, religious preference etc., so it’s personal. Even though the scripture and my wife were saying FRET NOT I was worried about tomorrow, literally January 20th and what was going to happen when he got into office and what would be one of the first things he would sign and try to eliminate especially concerning DEI, when God literally got my attention waking me up in the middle of the night whooping me and said What did I say about Tomorrow?
Matthew 6:34 “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”.
Tomorrow is often a source of both hope and anxiety. We all wonder what the future holds, whether it’s the next day, the next year, or the next season of life. So often, it’s easy to feel uncertain or worried about what lies ahead, do I have enough resources to make it through, what if the power is off for more than a day how will I keep the food from going bad, what will the doctor’s report be when the test results comeback, many things can cause us to worry about tomorrow; however, we are called to place our trust in God, knowing that He is in control of the future and that He cares for us.
The Bible does not shy away from the difficulty of life and the worry of tomorrow. Ever since Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, we understand that all that is in the world is vanity Ecclesiastes 1:1-11says,“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after”.
Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”.
The Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible advises:
Anxiety over tomorrow’s concerns will rob you of the strength for today. Getting stuck in worry will steal your joy and render you ineffective for the work God wants to do through your life. If Satan can keep you immobilized by fear he can steal from you the zeal to serve Christ in this generation. Remember how the disciples responded after Christ was killed? After seeing their beloved Jesus crucified, their fear drove them into hiding. What if the disciples had become so consumed with worry that they stayed in the shadows until the day they died or ran away from what they were called to do where they were called to do it?
God knows how to get you attention as I said He woke me up in the middle of the night not letting me go back to sleep just giving me this word.
We must understand that Jesus taught that we should not fear men Matthew 10:28 says, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. This does not mean that we should run into the midst of danger with disregard for safety and devoid of common sense. There is a difference between living unafraid and pure stupidity, but we don’t have to worry about what man may try to do because God is in control. We don’t have to worry about who is in the White House because God is on the Throne! There is nothing that can happen, no law can be made, no person appointed to office unless God allows it, He has ordained our coming and our going so there is nothing to fear. We must remember the sovereignty of God as mentioned Daniel 2:21-22 “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him”.
There was a commercial on T.V. a few years ago and the lady was on the telephone and she said your father is upset because the squirrels are back in the attic, it’s personal now! I like that saying it’s personal now because Jesus teaches that God is watching each little thing that takes place in our lives His eyes are on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. He is just that personal remember He is the vinedresser John 15:1. He has the very hairs of our head numbered Matthew 10:30. He knows the thoughts He has towards us thoughts of good and not of evil to bring us to an expected end Jeremiah 29:11. This does not mean that nothing “bad” will happen nor that we will escape persecutions. But Jesus teaches that we are not to fear the events and confrontations occurring while living sanctified, godly, and moral lives before the Lord understanding Isaiah 49:16 says, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me”. John 10:29 says, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand”.
So, Mel read this in reverse “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. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 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? Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”.
UNDERSTAND: - We must reverence God and have faith in Him. This does not mean that we just throw all caution to the wind and blindly just go about aimlessly that is not faith that is stupidity because even a bird will not go to the bird feeder when the cat is lurking around but will watch and wait for the cat to leave before it approaches the feeder, so we are to watch and pray. We are to seek the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness – this is to search out and follow His ways and live in obedience to His commandments and will - understanding, walking, and living in the scriptures and watch God take care of everything following His leading and guiding.
CLOSING: -
Sometimes we may have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but we don’t have to fear no evil we can say with confidence that God is with me and His rod and staff comfort me because He is my Shepherd. We understand that God loves us and has us in His hand we know that in any trouble we face, we are not alone, for the one who provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, the one who has authority over storms and who created and holds the world together is with us and for us. “What shall we then say to these things? These things that are going on in the world, these things that are being done by mere mortal man. These things and people that are bowing down and kissing the ring of Donald Trump. If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? I thank God I am His elect. It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Like the song says we don’t have to worry about tomorrow because we know who holds our hand. Worrying about tomorrow does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but it robs today of its strength.
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; taking this world as it is and not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
