Pieces of the Puzzle

Scripture: Matthew 6:25–34; Mark 10:13–16 (NRSVUE)

Last week, I began a new series by reflecting on one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture. Through the prophet Zephaniah, we discovered that our joy begins not with what we do for God, but with what God has already done for us.

Before we accomplish anything, before we prove ourselves worthy, before we check a single item off our to-do list, God delights in us. God rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

That is wonderful news. But it also raises an honest question:

If God delights in me, why do I still worry so much?

Many of us lie awake at night worrying about our health, our families, our finances, or what tomorrow may bring. We worry about the things we can control—and even more about the things we can’t.

Jesus understood that about us. That is why, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25–34), he doesn’t begin by talking about our circumstances. He begins by talking about the character of God—a God who knows our needs, cares for creation, and values us even more than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:26–30).

Before Jesus points us toward the birds and flowers, however, another Gospel offers a beautiful picture of what trust looks like.

The Trust of a Child

In Mark 10:13–16, people bring their children to Jesus, hoping he will bless them. The disciples try to send them away, perhaps believing they are protecting Jesus’ time. But Jesus is indignant. He welcomes the children into his arms, blesses them, and then says something remarkable:

“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

For years I wondered what Jesus meant.

It isn’t that children understand everything about God. It isn’t that they always make good decisions. It is that children know how to receive. They don’t earn love or care. They simply receive what is freely given.

Perhaps that is the kind of trust Jesus invites us to discover—a trust that receives God’s love before trying to earn it.

The Heart of God

Children have a remarkable ability to trust those who love them. They don’t spend much time worrying about tomorrow because they assume someone will care for them.

As we grow older, life becomes more complicated. We experience disappointment, grief, and loss. We carry responsibilities children never have to consider. No wonder worry becomes such a familiar companion.

Jesus does not point to children because they are naïve. He points to them because they know how to receive.

That raises an important question. Why can Jesus invite us to trust like that?

Certainly not because life is always easy. Jesus knew suffering, grief, and the cross that awaited him.

He invites us to trust because he knows the heart of the One in whom we place our trust.

That is why Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air… Consider the lilies of the field” (Matthew 6:26–29). He isn’t simply giving a lesson about nature. He is revealing the heart of God.

Every bird that is fed, every flower clothed in beauty, every gift of creation points to a God who knows, who sees, and who faithfully cares.

The Trust Jesus Lived

New Testament scholar N. T. Wright once asked, “Has it ever struck you what a basically happy person Jesus was?”

That observation has stayed with me.

Of course, Jesus experienced profound sorrow. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). He agonized in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46). He endured the cross (Luke 23:33–46).

But those moments are not the whole story.

Far more often we find Jesus sharing meals with friends, walking through the countryside, noticing birds and flowers, and receiving ordinary moments as gifts from God. Jesus moved through the world with a deep awareness of God’s goodness.

Perhaps that is why he could say, “Do not worry” (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34).

Jesus wasn’t asking his followers to do something he had never practiced himself. He trusted God’s care. He gave himself fully to the people in front of him, confident that tomorrow would also be held in God’s hands.

How often do we miss the gift of today because we’re already living in tomorrow? Before we’ve lived this day, we’ve already borrowed tomorrow’s burdens.

Jesus offers another way—not by pretending tomorrow doesn’t matter, but by trusting that the God who is with us today will also be with us tomorrow.

Borrowing Tomorrow’s Burdens

Jesus asks a question that is both simple and profound:

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

It is a question worth sitting with.

Worry often feels productive. We convince ourselves that if we think about something long enough, somehow we’ll gain control.

But worry has limits.

It cannot change yesterday.

It cannot control tomorrow.

And it often steals the peace God intends for today.

Jesus isn’t dismissing our concerns. Notice what he mentions: food, drink, and clothing. These were not luxuries; they were life’s necessities (Matthew 6:25, 31–32).

Instead of minimizing those needs, Jesus points us toward something even more certain:

“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:32)

What a remarkable promise.

Before we ever speak a prayer, before we find the right words, before tomorrow even arrives, God already knows. Tomorrow has not yet arrived for us, but it has never been beyond the reach of God.

Seeking First the Kingdom

Jesus then says:

“But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

At first glance, those words can sound like another assignment on an already crowded to-do list.

But notice the order.

Jesus first reminds us who God is. Your heavenly Father knows what you need (Matthew 6:32).

Only then does he invite us to seek God’s kingdom.

Seeking God’s kingdom doesn’t mean trying harder to earn God’s care. It means refusing to build our lives around fear. It means allowing God’s reign—not anxiety—to shape our priorities.

When we trust God’s faithfulness, we become free to love God and our neighbors instead of being consumed by our fears.

Isn’t that the kind of life we long for?

Not a life without responsibilities.

Not a life without challenges.

But a life that isn’t constantly pulled away from the present by fear of the future.

Practicing Trust

Rather than trying to “worry less” this week, I invite you to practice trust.

Each day, take a few moments to notice one sign of God’s faithful care.

Watch the birds in your backyard.

Notice flowers blooming along the roadside.

Sit quietly with a grandchild.

Or begin your morning with this simple prayer:

“God, today I trust that you are already here before I arrive.”

It is a simple prayer, but it reminds us that wherever this day leads, we never walk into it alone.

As we practice this habit, the Holy Spirit gradually teaches our hearts to trust what we already know in our minds: God is faithful.

The God Who Delights in You Is the God You Can Trust

The beloved hymn reminds us:

“His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.”

Those words have comforted generations of Christians—not because they promise a life without hardship, but because they remind us that we are never forgotten.

If God’s eye is on the sparrow (Matthew 6:26), how much more is God’s heart turned toward you?

That is the promise at the heart of Jesus’ teaching.

Tomorrow may bring challenges. Jesus never promised otherwise. In fact, he acknowledged that each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

But there will never be a day when God is absent.

Last week we heard that God delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17). This week Jesus reminds us that the God who delights in us also cares for us. The One who rejoices over us with singing is the same One who knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:32).

Our hope is not found in having enough faith to eliminate every anxious thought.

Our hope is found in the faithfulness of God.

So when worry begins to whisper this week, remember the children gathered safely in Jesus’ arms (Mark 10:13–16). Remember the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26). Remember the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28–30).

And remember this:

Before tomorrow arrives for you, God is already there.

Trust doesn’t mean we stop planning for tomorrow. It simply means tomorrow no longer has the power to rule today.

The God who delights in you is the God you can trust.