A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Handford
Friends of mine both work for the federal government. During covid, they worked from
home, and as soon as they could, they returned to their offices. But the husband is deeply
worried now that they might be furloughed. The wife says, “I am not afraid. The Lord will take
care of us.” But she doesn’t realize the load that a man carries as head of the family, with a
heavy mortgage, Christian school fees, clothing to buy, food to put on the table, utilities to pay.
If he were laid off, he would have no way to meet those expenses and his family would suffer.
How many others, because of this broken world, carry a similar load of fear for the
future! Times are serious, no matter what job you are in, what country you live in, what your
personal circumstances are.
David, the young man who killed the Philistine giant, one day found himself a captive of
the Philistines. They had captured him in Gath as he fled the wrath of King Saul. (Gath is a town
in the Gaza strip,) David says, in verses 3 and 4 of Psalm 56:
But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
I praise God for what He has promised.
I trust in God so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?
“What can mere mortals do to me?” my anxious friend might ask. “They can fire me and
I won’t be able to take care of my family!”
But “mere mortals” are still under God’s omnipotent power. Their hands are tied when
God makes a decision on behalf of His beloved children. And God will keep His promises to
this dear family, who are faithfully teaching their children to love the Lord and obey Him. And
He will care for you, if you love Him. He promised He would.
Notice in this Psalm, that as David thought about being afraid, his perspective changed.
In verse 3, he said, “When I am afraid. . .” But after reminding himself of God’s promises, he
wrote, “I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?”
Indeed, why should you be afraid, when you are a child of God, and when He has
promised you His personal attention?
The Lord Jesus said a curious thing in Matthew 6:34: “Don’t worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” What did Jesus
mean? Perhaps that worrying about something that might or might not happen tomorrow only
puts a deep burden of pain on today. It won’t lessen the pain of tomorrow’s trouble should it
come. Why spoil today worrying about what might happen tomorrow?
But notice, in David’s Psalm 58, how calling to mind the precious promises that God has
made to His child changed David’s spirit from fear to assurance. And you’ll find that same
sweet assurance in Matthew 6, when Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow. “If God
cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He
will certainly care for you.”
I don’t know how God will provide for my friend’s family. We don’t need to know how.
We only know that He will, and generously. And He will take care of you, too, as you “seek first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” All the things you need will be given to you. God
promised it, and He always, always keeps His promises.