Matthew 6:31-34"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  ³²For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Two very interesting stories are found in the second book of Kings 6 and 7.  Chapter 6 tells of the extreme frustrations experienced by the king of Syria.  Every time he tries to make war against Israel, they evade him.  2Kings 6:8, 9  ⁸Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place." ⁹And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there." Just imagine how this king felt.  At the same time, imagine the excitement of the king of Israel every time Elisha brought positive news about the day of tomorrow.  One day the king of Syria finds out who the informer is and sends an army to surround Samaria and silence Elisha once and for all.  The story is interesting as there seems to have been no revelation to Elisha about this attack.  The next morning Elisha’s servant comes storming back with fear all over his face: "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" Elisha answers: ¹⁶"Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." ¹⁷

And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see."

It only takes a moment for this miracle to happen.  The servant looks again and is filled with surprise as he sees a multitude of shining chariots of fire filled with angelic warriors surrounding the city and enemy.  While all this is happening, Elisha is still praying – this time he prays that God must strike the enemy with blindness.  The enemy is led into the city, cared for, fed and send home.  Elisha is not worried at all about the day of tomorrow or what the Syrians might do again.  The story is concluded with the words in verse 23: “So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.”

Sadly, this story does not end with a ‘happily ever after”.

 Not long afterwards, king Bén-Hadad decides to besiege the city of Samaria, this time with more success.  The siege was so successful that famine became the order of the day.  Mothers began eating their own offspring.  Now it was the king of Israel that wanted to kill Elisha.  Still, Elisha did not worry about the day of tomorrow and answered the king of Israel: 2Kings 7:1, 2"Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.' " ²So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it." The book of Kings is not a book of peace, love, caring and contentment.  I do not see a God who only allows good things to happen to His people.  I see a God who also allows His people to experience the bad and the ugly side of life.  What is most interesting about us human beings, is the fact that we never question the daily blessings we experience so abundantly from God.  But when things turn nasty or uncomfortable, we suddenly find ourselves knocking hysterically on God’s door, wanting to know WHY? I have an interesting way of looking at financial gifts from God.  When I receive money outside of my normal salary, either from SARS, or maybe as a birthday gift or bonus from the conference, I always wonder what is going to happen next.  Why was I given this extra money?  Is it because the car will break soon or is it for another unexpected expense?J I wonder if we are not actually missing the point.  The answer to the good and bad is actually staring us in the face – we only need to understand the stories of Israel and the Syrians.  We find something very interesting and odd here as well.  It seems as if God is working with both Israel and the Syrians.  In 2 Kings 5 Naaman, the Syrian is healed by God from his leprosy through an Israelite slave girl who was violently taken from her parents.  In 2 Kings 6 we already saw how the king of Syria tried to conquer Samaria.  God blessed them in return with love and food through Elisha.  But still the Syrians came back, irrespective of the grace they received from God and the love and friendship they received from the Israelites. The Bible never promised us moonshine and roses.  That promise is there, but not while this earth is our home.  This promise was made repeatedly in the Bible to those who“…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...”  Friends, these words are so simple, but so extremely important for our salvation.  Even those who we have treated well will treat us badly and will even stab us in the back.  Family, friends and those close to us, even church family will turn against us.  The Bible clarifies this for us – we are living in these times.Matt. 10:21, 22"Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.²²And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” 

This must never prevent us from seeking first the “kingdom of God and His righteousness.  “But he who endures to the end will be saved.”  This concept is actually very strait forward.  To me it is best understood in the context of tithe.  Give to God that which belongs to Him and He promises that He will open the windows of heaven and flood us with His blessings.  Mal. 3:10  “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, " If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”

 Still we behave unbelieving just like the officer in this story of Elisha:  2Kings 7:2So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?"  Because of the officer’s disbelief that he needed to trust God and that God could and would do what He promised, he never tasted the wonderful blessings, he only saw it! Jesus makes it very clear:  “Do not worry yourselves about tomorrow…trust God!”  Sadly, we are blinded by our wants and how we see God, and we miss the blessings that come with trust and belief.  Looking back at our lives, I am sure none of you had only wonderful experiences.  Some of us are still struggling to overcome the consequences of those negative experiences.  We are struggling to simply trust God.  But how will we leave behind the past and allow the present and future into our lives if we do not believe Jesus’ words?  We keep trying to build our own tomorrow, we continue to uphold our own ideas and opinions, while the words of Jesus continues to echo its message:  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.” 

This promise is even given to those who mean us harm.  This is the power of salvation.  This is the power of love.  God loves even those “bad” people and cares about their tomorrow.  We clearly see this in the story of the Syrians and God’s continuing love.  He offers them  opportunity, and experience after experience.  All of this is done so that all can see and realize that there is a loving God who cares, no matter what.  This leaves us with a very certain responsibility towards God.  Sadly the story continues still today, with people that continue to live in disbelief, despite the message “I am with you always”. 

 We are standing in the doorway of a new year with new challenges.  In spite of this, we have nothing to fear.  Is Jesus not guiding us with His words:  “Do not worry about tomorrow.”?  Jesus came through for us in the past and we have the assurance that He will continue doing it in the NOW as well as in the future.  Why are we trying so hard to do that which is actually His to do?  According to Matthew, it is the heathen who worries about tomorrow, who wants to be in control of tomorrow.  They want to change it by their decisions.  It is the heathen who has no hope for tomorrow that fears it.  Prov. 3: ⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

Ps. 18:28-32For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.²⁸For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. ²⁹For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall. ³⁰As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. ³¹For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 

The most challenging and important question I need to ask myself is:  “In whose words and strength do I trust?”  Do I trust in my wisdom and understanding, or have I given myself over in trusting God completely?  If you are still struggling today to completely trust God’s intervention.  If in the future you get to cross roads where you need to trust in God’s intervention.  Pray the prayer that Elisha prayed for his servant ,for yourself:  “"LORD, I pray, open my eyes that I may see, trust and believe!”

 God’s people, I know where my help comes from:  Ps. 121:2 “MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH!”

 UPON HIM I WILL TRUST!   In WHOM will you place your trust?!