Each and everyday of our lives are filled with or surrounded by the busyness, uncertainties, and problems of this world. The hustle and bustle society we find ourselves moving through can sometimes cause you to run and hide. Our daily schedules are so cluttered with job responsibilities, meetings, serving the church, running errands, and taking care of our families that at the end of the day you realize that you haven’t stop to eat anything and that you have so much more to do. Let me use another color and make this picture even uglier. With all this that we have going on, throw in health problems, financial strain, mental distress, and struggles with sin.
Is this a vivid picture to anyone? Can anybody relate? Are you experiencing or going through some of these things in your life? Has anxiety gripped you? Do you constantly worry about money, your job, and your health? This message talks about ingredients for a worry-free life; but if you don’t have anything to worry about I can stop right now. I don’t want to preach to the choir. Well since I need to know and be aware of these ingredients, I’m going to continue. You see I’m not the Word, I just deliver it. The same mailman who delivers mail to your house, has mail waiting on him when he gets home.
I know somebody is thinking to themselves, and wondering is it really possible to live a worry-free life? I mean if I can wake up in the morning despite my hectic schedule and still be in my right mind at the end of the day, is that possible? Can I suffer from physical pain and sickness, can the doctor tell me that they can’t do anything else for me and I still have peace within, is that possible? Can I lose my job, TXU give me a notice to disconnect my lights, and the bank threatens to repossess my car, is it possible not to worry? I want to give somebody hope this morning by saying yes, it is possible to live a worry-free life.
This isn’t a theory or my personal opinion, but the Word of God shares with us several times that a worry-free life is possible. In the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians, he said, “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.” The word “careful” used here means full of cares and anxiety, so Paul is simply saying, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything and when you do this you will experience God’s peace, and His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Not only did God speak through Paul, but he spoke through Peter as well when he said to the Jewish Christians living in Asia Minor, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” In other words give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. There are many more scriptures that show us that a worry-free life is possible, but it is up to us to choose whether we want to worry or not. Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith.
David, the author of Psalm 34, experienced in his life, times of worry. Once David displeased God and the consequence of his sin caused the death of 70,000. David had many enemies and was constantly in battle with other nations throughout his reign as King. David couldn’t keep his household in order, his son raped his daughter, and his other son killed that son, and then after a few years he came after his father David. Earlier in David’s life, King Saul became jealous of him to the point that he sought to take his life. So we see that David had much to worry about and many things happened in his life that would cause anxiety. But in our selected text David gives us ingredients for a worry-free life.
When Israel’s army returned from the battle where David defeated Goliath and the Philistine army fled, the women sung a song that said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Because of this song--because Saul’s daughter Michal loved David so much, and because God was with David, these all contributed to the jealousy and hatred Saul had for him. This jealousy harbored in the heart of Saul so much that he sought to take David’s life. And just like anybody would do if someone was trying to kill them, David ran. In his escape from Saul, David found himself fleeing to one of the five chief Philistine cities called Gath.
When David arrived he was recognized by the Philistines, they even knew the song sung that made Saul mad, and when David heard these comments, he became afraid of what the King might do, so he pretended to be crazy. He scratched on doors and let his spit run down his beard. When King Achish saw this he said to his men, “Why have you brought this madman to me, we already have enough of them around here. So David left Gath and escaped to a cave.
The title of Psalm 34 let us know that David wrote this psalm as he thought about that time he pretended to be insane in front of King Achish. After this episode and many other experiences in his life, David wrote this psalm of praise and in our highlighted passage David realized that life can be lived worry-free.
Ingredients for a worry-free life; when we talk about ingredients food comes to mind, and since it’s early in the morning most of us haven’t had breakfast, so food is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But ingredients are individual items that are mixed together and that mixture combines to make a final product. If you know anything about cooking, if you’re missing an ingredient, then your final product might not be what you desired. Of course you can cook some things if you’re missing an ingredient or two, but for the best results every ingredient is needed.
Our final result this morning isn’t to bake a cake or make meatloaf, so talking about eggs, milk, ground beef, and gravy won’t help. But we want to find out how it is possible and what do we need to live a worry-free life.
The first two ingredients for a worry-free life are perception and understanding of God’s goodness. David says in verse 8a, “O taste and see that the LORD is good.” If we want to experience a worry-free life, we must first become aware of and comprehend that God is good. There were times in David’s life that he worried because of all that was happening to him, but there also came a time in his life that he became aware of, really tried God, and understood that if the Lord is good, why do I need to worry about anything? The goodness of God is able to wipe out all your anxiety, but you must know that he’s good.
The only way we will know that God is good is by trying him. There are some things, especially in the spiritual life, that can only be understood by being experienced. You can tell me that something is good for me all day long, but until I try it for myself I won’t understand. Once we try God we can’t help but come to the conclusion that He is good. When I understand that every good and perfect gift comes from above, why do I need to worry? When I comprehend that all things work together for the good of them who love God, then why worry?
The reason why so many people worry is because they’re missing these first two ingredients and haven’t become aware of God’s goodness. It’s not hard to understand that God is good. When I open my eyes, I see His goodness. When I (sniff), I smell His goodness. When I touch, I feel his goodness. When I incline my ear, I hear His goodness. And when my wife does her thing in the kitchen, I taste His goodness. God is good, and when we start counting our blessings instead of magnifying our problems, then we will begin to see that a worry-free life is attainable.
The next ingredient for a worry-free life is trust in the Lord. Part b of verse 8 says, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” What is trusting in God? Trusting in God means that we firmly depend on His integrity, ability, and character. We have confidence and faith that God will keep His word. To trust in God means that we can relax in Him knowing that He will do whatever is in our best interest. David assures us that when we trust in God we are blessed. The word “blessed” used here means happy, and if we have joy and happiness by trusting in God, what is there to worry about?
You weren’t worried that you wouldn’t get up this morning, I bet you didn’t even think twice that your car wouldn’t start. I don’t think anybody looked back or inspected the pews before sitting down. Why, because you trusted that those things wouldn’t let you down. Why is it so hard for us to trust God, your hair falling out because you worried about those bills at the end of the month. Somebody’s afraid to go to the doctor to check on that pain they feel, because they’re scared that if it is something serious, that God can’t work things out. Somebody has given up on their spouse, because they feel as though God can’t change them.
When you’ve become wrinkled with care and worry, don’t go to see the plastic surgeon, a face lift isn’t going to last, it’s time to have your faith lifted. What a joyful life we can live if we completely put our trust in God, and a worry-free life is possible when we trust Him.
Another ingredient for a worry-free life is reverence for the Lord. David says in verse 9, “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” David isn’t saying that we should be frightened by God, but “fear” used here means reverence, honor, and respect. When we take into consideration who God is and what he represents, then we should have nothing but the utmost respect for Him. We should be careful of what comes out of our mouth and our actions because we have a God who knows and sees everything. Respect is something that is becoming rare in the world we live in, but when we reverence God in our living, we can hold fast to the promise that we’ll never want, because we will have everything we need.
If I have everything I need, what is there to worry about? If I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, should I even think twice about it? If we walk in His laws, have respect to His will, tremble to offend Him, and hasten to serve Him, then we shall not want. God may not give us luxuries, but the promise binds God to supply our needs. We may have many wishes that remain unfulfilled, but real needs the Lord will supply. Knowing that God will supply my needs should free my mind and keep me from have anxiety attacks because I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord will make a way. If the way is already made, then I can live worry-free knowing that God will take care of me.
I’m getting ready to sit down and be happy all by myself, but the last ingredient for a worry-free life involves seeking the Lord. Verse 10 says, “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” David shows that we’re different from some of God’s other creation. Even the strong lions sometimes go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will never lack any good thing. If we follow after the Lord, and seek to know Him more and more, then we will never lack any good thing. If I don’t lack any good thing, then there is no reason why I can’t live a worry-free life, I mean if I want for nothing good, why should I worry?
We should seek the Lord everyday of our lives. We seek Him through prayer, and we seek Him through studying and being obedient to His Word. We shouldn’t be without any good thing when He is sought. This doesn’t mean we will have everything we want, because I know somebody is making a list in their head and thinking to themselves that they have several good things they feel they’re in need of. But those who call upon God in their need will be answered. God knows what we need, and our deepest needs are spiritual. To have God is to have all you really need. God is enough, and if God is enough anxiety shouldn’t be a part of my life.
What cares and worries are weighing you down this morning? Somebody wants to praise the Lord right now, but can’t because of everything that’s on their mind. Some people not only worried about the future, but somebody’s past is worrying them. Worry can’t change the past, but it can ruin the present. As a matter of fact, worry never changes a single thing—except the worrier. Do you want to live a worry-free life? I mean do you want to go through each day knowing that everything is taken care of?
It is possible to live a worry-free life, but we need these ingredients for this to be possible. If you take out your spiritual bowls throw in the understanding of God’s goodness. Take some trust in the Lord and put that in there. Next we need some reverence for the Lord, and finally we need to seek the Lord. Once we have all our ingredients and mix them up, then our final product is a worry-free life.
I know we’re all growing, we may not have all these ingredients at once, but if you have just one, it should be enough for a worry-free life. If I just taste and see that the Lord is good, that the Lord is kind, that the Lord is great, that the Lord is merciful, that the Lord is faithful, that the Lord is wonderful, that the Lord is sovereign, that the Lord is mighty, that the Lord is holy, that the Lord is forgiving, that the Lord is patient, that the Lord is love, that the Lord just is, then I need not worry!...
