From A Cup Of Coffee
I read a saying on a coffee cup; Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles it empties today of its strength. Hmmm. Then this story came to mind. It’s a very familiar story to me.
Once upon a time there was a girl who couldn’t sleep because she worried about the next day. God said to her, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
The girl was so delighted to hear God say those words, she decided to listen and rolled over and went to sleep.
The next day everyone heard the good news God had said to the girl. Do Not Worry. She skipped through her day. Eventually, everything worked out, not how she planned, but it worked out.
Months later, the girl couldn’t sleep because; she worried about her troubles again. God said to her, “Do not worry about tomorrow, be still and know that I am God.”
The girl was delighted, choosing to believe she didn’t need to worry, rolled over and went to sleep. The next morning she reported to everyone about what God had said.
That afternoon she opened a letter that arrived in the mail and sat down to worry over the news this letter had brought. Then she heard God say to her, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.”
Delighted she decided to believe God and went about her day. When her husband came home that evening his shoulders hung low with the heavy burdens of the day. The girl barely finished dinner because she worried.
Then she heard God say to her, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” She nodded her head, “okay” and went slowly to bed wondering how she could not worry.
The girl woke up during the night worrying about all that had happened the day before. God said, “Do not worry about tomorrow. Lie down in peace and sleep.” The girl rolled over and tried hard not to think about her troubles, until she finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning the girl received a phone call, the situation had worsened. She stopped cleaning her house and instead worried about her situation, until God said, “Do not worry, I am your provider.”
The girl nodded her head and went through the day, unable to accomplish much, because, she continually found herself lost in thought and worry.
After a fitful night of sleep, she got up the next day and started making calls and appointments to fix her problem. She put off all of her normal responsibilities and didn’t have much to say to those around her.
God came to her and said, “Do not worry. Trust Me.” But she didn’t hear him. She was too busy fixing things.
Months later, exhausted and feeling depressed she threw herself before God in tears. “Where are you? I have been doing all these things and nothing is better. Why is this happening to me?”
God said, “Do not worry, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
The girl didn’t stop talking in order to listen. God repeated, “Do not worry. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Finally she heard the words. “Do not worry? Look what is going on in my life. It’s a mess. I can’t keep up and everything is falling apart.”
“Have things turned out any better while you worry? Do not worry about tomorrow. Trust me.” God replied.
The girl got up and halfheartedly went about her day. That night she lay in bed, unable to sleep, worried. “Do not worry about tomorrow,” ran through her mind, along with, “Lie down in peace and sleep.”
For some odd reason, she thought about a time, many, many months ago, when she had a very serious problem. She had heard God say, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” She recalled how she believed God when He said she didn’t need to worry and was able to sleep, work and enjoy those around her. And everything eventually worked out.
The girl wondered, “How would things look now, if I trusted and believed God’s word, do not worry.” She was a tired and emotional wreck ever since she chose to continue to worry. Her neck hurt, and she had headaches. Being so discouraged, she didn’t feel like working out, so she had gained some weight. Her house was a mess due to lack of energy and she barely talked to her husband because she was too stressed out.
Hmmm. She considered something different. What would it be like to trust God with this problem and stop worrying? I bet I’d start feeling better.
The girl opened her Bible and read some Psalms. She fell upon one that was perfect for her.
She read it out loud as a prayer. Psalm 69, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.”
“Do not worry about tomorrow. Trust in the Lord,” went through her mind.
“Okay.” She made a decision, no more worrying and to trust in the Lord, then she rolled over and went to sleep.
The next morning the girl felt better after sleeping the rest of the night through. She went through the day and a knock sounded on the front door. The messenger had bad news. The phone rang and the person had bad news. She opened the mail and the letter had bad news. Her husband came home and he had bad news.
But…his shoulders didn’t droop and he smiled and hugged her. He had decided to stop worrying and trust in the Lord.
She smiled back, because, even though she had received bad news all day, she too had decided to not worry and trust in the Lord.
That night she went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night. Out of habit she started to worry over all the bad news she’d been given during the day. Then she stopped herself, and prayed over all those things instead, because she had decided not to worry. It hadn’t made things better, it hadn’t solved her problems, as a matter of fact, her life had only gotten worse.
So the girl decided to believe God and not worry because she would trust Him. She rolled over and went to sleep.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
And that came from a cup of coffee.
Once upon a time there was a girl who couldn’t sleep because she worried about the next day. God said to her, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
The girl was so delighted to hear God say those words, she decided to listen and rolled over and went to sleep.
The next day everyone heard the good news God had said to the girl. Do Not Worry. She skipped through her day. Eventually, everything worked out, not how she planned, but it worked out.
Months later, the girl couldn’t sleep because; she worried about her troubles again. God said to her, “Do not worry about tomorrow, be still and know that I am God.”
The girl was delighted, choosing to believe she didn’t need to worry, rolled over and went to sleep. The next morning she reported to everyone about what God had said.
That afternoon she opened a letter that arrived in the mail and sat down to worry over the news this letter had brought. Then she heard God say to her, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.”
Delighted she decided to believe God and went about her day. When her husband came home that evening his shoulders hung low with the heavy burdens of the day. The girl barely finished dinner because she worried.
Then she heard God say to her, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” She nodded her head, “okay” and went slowly to bed wondering how she could not worry.
The girl woke up during the night worrying about all that had happened the day before. God said, “Do not worry about tomorrow. Lie down in peace and sleep.” The girl rolled over and tried hard not to think about her troubles, until she finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning the girl received a phone call, the situation had worsened. She stopped cleaning her house and instead worried about her situation, until God said, “Do not worry, I am your provider.”
The girl nodded her head and went through the day, unable to accomplish much, because, she continually found herself lost in thought and worry.
After a fitful night of sleep, she got up the next day and started making calls and appointments to fix her problem. She put off all of her normal responsibilities and didn’t have much to say to those around her.
God came to her and said, “Do not worry. Trust Me.” But she didn’t hear him. She was too busy fixing things.
Months later, exhausted and feeling depressed she threw herself before God in tears. “Where are you? I have been doing all these things and nothing is better. Why is this happening to me?”
God said, “Do not worry, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
The girl didn’t stop talking in order to listen. God repeated, “Do not worry. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Finally she heard the words. “Do not worry? Look what is going on in my life. It’s a mess. I can’t keep up and everything is falling apart.”
“Have things turned out any better while you worry? Do not worry about tomorrow. Trust me.” God replied.
The girl got up and halfheartedly went about her day. That night she lay in bed, unable to sleep, worried. “Do not worry about tomorrow,” ran through her mind, along with, “Lie down in peace and sleep.”
For some odd reason, she thought about a time, many, many months ago, when she had a very serious problem. She had heard God say, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” She recalled how she believed God when He said she didn’t need to worry and was able to sleep, work and enjoy those around her. And everything eventually worked out.
The girl wondered, “How would things look now, if I trusted and believed God’s word, do not worry.” She was a tired and emotional wreck ever since she chose to continue to worry. Her neck hurt, and she had headaches. Being so discouraged, she didn’t feel like working out, so she had gained some weight. Her house was a mess due to lack of energy and she barely talked to her husband because she was too stressed out.
Hmmm. She considered something different. What would it be like to trust God with this problem and stop worrying? I bet I’d start feeling better.
The girl opened her Bible and read some Psalms. She fell upon one that was perfect for her.
She read it out loud as a prayer. Psalm 69, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.”
“Do not worry about tomorrow. Trust in the Lord,” went through her mind.
“Okay.” She made a decision, no more worrying and to trust in the Lord, then she rolled over and went to sleep.
The next morning the girl felt better after sleeping the rest of the night through. She went through the day and a knock sounded on the front door. The messenger had bad news. The phone rang and the person had bad news. She opened the mail and the letter had bad news. Her husband came home and he had bad news.
But…his shoulders didn’t droop and he smiled and hugged her. He had decided to stop worrying and trust in the Lord.
She smiled back, because, even though she had received bad news all day, she too had decided to not worry and trust in the Lord.
That night she went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night. Out of habit she started to worry over all the bad news she’d been given during the day. Then she stopped herself, and prayed over all those things instead, because she had decided not to worry. It hadn’t made things better, it hadn’t solved her problems, as a matter of fact, her life had only gotten worse.
So the girl decided to believe God and not worry because she would trust Him. She rolled over and went to sleep.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
And that came from a cup of coffee.
Comments