Psalm 23; Matthew 6: 19-34

We just barely calmed down from the attacks of last month, when more came. We do not see this one at all. Anthrax arrives innocently in a letter. Again, fear grips the people around those who were exposed. The ripple effect touches us, even here in Arkansas. Those who receive a lot of mail might slow down while opening their correspondence.

We continue to drop bombs on own country. We hope to put the terrorists on the defense. But this enemy can hardly be traced. We now we wonder if we even dare open our own mail. The fight truly is different. How will it end? When will it end?

Fear! Worry! They walk closely together. Let’s define them

Fear: sudden attack, peril; 1, a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain. But fear also means respectful dread; awe, reverence - I have a healthy respect for snakes and brown recluse spiders.

Worry: to cause to feel troubled or uneasy; make anxious, troubled, distressed, or uneasy. But a good kind of worry is a healthy concern for things most meaningful to us.

We seem to be living on the edge of worry. And it is easy to be pushed into fear! Simply listen to the conversations. Example: People hoard drugs like Cipro. "Just in case." You You might have heard NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw close his newscast last week. He held a bottle of Cipro, he declared, "In Cipro we trust."

Our world seemed once to be safe and secure. No longer. Things got turned upside down. Our economy rocks and reels from layoffs and closings and ...and...what next? How will we live? Where is the peace we had? Where is our confidence that we have counted on? Teetering between fear and worry, it is hard to focus on the things that matter. How are we to live with all this uncertainty?

Jesus worried. But He did not fear. Remember when He entered Jerusalem? He saw the crowds. He knew that they wanted their kind of solution to life. He knew His time to die was upon Him. Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ (John 12.27) A worried man or woman would shout, "SAVE ME." What did He say? For this purpose I came to this hour!

Isn’t that good to hear? A larger vision. A greater purpose and goal to pursue. Think of the great opportunities we have to present Christ. Let’s sharpen our focus on the things that matter! No, Mr. Brokaw, I cannot trust in a drug that may or may not work. I trust in God. Friends, keep your focus!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU! Easy to say - hard to do.

We all worry. It’s part of living. Jesus knew us pretty well. His list of worries came right off the morning newspaper. Look at the worry list He provides: we worry about- food and our health. Will we have the right kind of clothes? Will I be noticed? Admired? Ridiculed? We worry about money...most of us have too much month for our money. We worry about mortgages, interest rates, pension, taxes! The list is endlessssss!

Jesus did not want us to be careless about the basics. He taught us to pray: Give us this day, our daily bread. He expects us to be concerned about all of these things that are close to us. They are part of our living! So, Jesus invites us to take the Worry Test. It is included in His Sermon on the Mount. Maybe you missed it. Here it is.

What are you most anxious about? What troubles you the most? What keeps you and me awake at night? Or what bugs us during the day? Take the test. You and I will find out where our hearts are focused. We might be like the two men who rode a tandem bike.

They were enjoying the flat terrain on their ride. But then, they started to climb. The higher they climbed the harder it was to get up the hill. At last at the top, the fellow in back cheered, WE MADE IT! To which the fellow riding in front declared with some sense of relief: "Yeah, and if I hadn’t kept the brake on we probably would have slid back to the bottom." That’s the worry test in action.

One fellow has his eyes on the heights. He’s going to the top, no matter what. His partner has his eyes on the bottom. He lives on the edge of worry. Fear is but a heartbeat away. He’s sure to be sucked back to the bottom. Two fellows, one tandem bicycle, but their values are focused on different goals. Their worries set them apart. The challenge before us is NOT TO STOP worrying altogether.

Jesus wants you and me to be sure that our goals and values and treasure will be directed toward Him. Recall His directions: BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU!

Alexander Solzenitsyn helped me grasp this. I received a doctor’s report that nudged me from concern to worry...and almost to fear. Then, I remembered this incident in the life of this great man.

He spent some back-breaking years in a Siberian prison camp, (Gulags). He lost his home and family. Endless days of work made him numb to his future. Then, doctors told him that he had cancer. He couldn’t even get out of bed the next day. "What’s the use?" he asked himself. When he got to the rock quarry he sat down and rested his weary body, head resting on his arms. He knew the guards would see him soon, but he didn’t care. If they shot him, he would at least be out of his misery. But then, he shared from his journal a startling breakthrough.

"I felt someone standing near me. I looked up. There was an old man. I’d never seen him before. And I never saw him again. But he knelt over me and he took a stick and he drew a cross on the ground in front of me. That cross made me see things in a new way. There is a power in this universe that is bigger than any empire or any government. There is a God who experiences our pain...who dies our death...and who came back from the tomb. There is a God who gives life meaning...who IS LIFE. That’s what really matters. That is why we exist. That is why Jesus came to earth for us!"

His troubles did not disappear. But Solzenitsyn put worry in its place. How can I share the life of the Master? How can my life reflect His kingdom, power and glory? That is where Jesus leads us! Seek first His Kingdom....His righteousness! And worry will take its proper place! I needed that. All you and I need to do is ask Him to reflect His kingdom, power and glory through us each day! Then, others might see Jesus Christ!

I finally made an appointment with my skin doctor. I’ve had a problem for a little over a year. (Typical man- I waited). The doctor looked at it, then at a few other spots, which included my face. "Oops, there’s a spot, pre-cancerous. But I can take that off." He did. Then, just when I was ready to leave. "Hey, let me check one more spot. I need a biopsy on this one." And he took it before I could worry or fear. Two days ago the lab report came back: CANCER. What if...how will I cope...when will I die..? You see, this is my second round. Cancer was removed from my face while we lived in Mexico.

Then, Solzenitsyn’s story came to me. He helped me look at the cross. There is a great God guiding. My God knows me and my pain and fears and worries. He brought me to this doctor. Early treatment should solve the problem. Thank God! For good medicine! For saints encouraging me. Doxology! That’s what life becomes when we keep focused on the things that matter!

The great Psalm of David - How does it begin? The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am very worried. Or...the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! He sees to my every need. In the midst of planes crashing into buildings and letters billowing white powder...

The Lord is MY SHEPHERD...I SHALL NOT WANT... That goes for you, too!

Each day, He makes us lie down, then leads us and restores our souls!

Then, when He has done that, He says, "Get moving with Me. I’ve got a path for you to walk." And we go together...through the valley of the shadow of death. But I will fear no evil! Why? Because Thou art with me! You, Father, are with me! Praise God!

Shadows cannot hurt me. They cannot hurt you. Let a shadow worry us and we will never go anywhere. Cancer...anthrax...bombs....will we have enough food...clothes, and, and...and... No...get your focus on Him! Begin to praise the Lord! Doxology!

In fact, that might be the best thing for all of us. When we sense that worry and fear drive us crazy...sing the Doxology to yourself. Worries and fears will not go away. They are part of life. But they will be manageable! He IS LIFE -YOUR LIFE AND MINE! If we ever lose our Doxology we might as well be dead.

See Him. Sing to Him. Be amazed how worry turns to wonder of His love and supply!