“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his life span? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin.”
Matthew 6:26–28, LSB
How often do we worry about things that we have no control over? The words of Jesus point us to the reality that God provides. God provides for the needs of His creation. Sin and other factors still cause suffering and the like, but it does not undermine the fact that God provides. In particular, God provides for us. Ultimately, the calling of our Lord is to place our trust in Him. When we do so it is not meant for us to blindly follow, but to calm our hearts and let us focus on doing the things which He has prepared for us to do. Our calling is to proclaim the salvation of our Lord. In this calling, we are to be comforted by these words even when we suffer because we can be comforted in the reality that God is with us always. When we struggle and fret, God wants us to give our concerns to Him and let Him show us His continued providence. In this, we can walk in His peace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.