focus verse: Matthew 6: 25; 32-34
25:Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
32-34: For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.RE
focus verse: Psalm 34
HOW AM I GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS?
Following Jesus doesn’t mean life suddenly stops being hard.
The bills still come. The unexpected still happens. Relationships can still hurt. The refrigerator can still get empty. We can still find ourselves staring at circumstances we didn’t expect, don’t know how to fix, and certainly wouldn’t have chosen.
Sometimes we know Jesus is with us, but we’re still wondering: How am I going to get through this?
In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus speaks directly into those kinds of worries. He talks about food. Clothing. Tomorrow. The things we need and the things we’re afraid we might not have.
And He doesn’t shame us for having needs. Instead, He points us toward our Father.
MY FATHER KNOWS
Jesus says:
“Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
— Matthew 6:32
I love the simplicity of that truth.
Your Father knows.
- Before you’ve figured it out.
- Before you’ve found the solution.
- Before you know where the provision will come from.
He knows.
- He knows what you need to pay the bills.
- He knows what your family needs.
- He knows the fear you haven’t told anyone about.
- He knows what keeps running through your mind when you’re trying to fall asleep.
You don’t have to convince God that your needs matter to Him. Your Father already knows. And knowing that gives us somewhere to take our worry.
I MATTER TO HIM
Earlier in the passage, Jesus points to the birds and reminds His listeners that their heavenly Father feeds them. Then He asks:
“Are you not much more valuable than they?”
— Matthew 6:26
Don’t rush past that.
You are valuable to God.
- Your past doesn’t determine your value.
- Your mistakes don’t determine your value.
- Your bank account doesn’t determine your value.
- Your current circumstances don’t determine your value.
- Other people don’t get to determine your value.
Your Father does.
And Jesus says you matter to Him.
Sometimes our circumstances can make us wonder whether God sees us at all. But Jesus reminds us that the God who sees the birds and knows their needs certainly sees His children.
He sees you. You matter to Him.
I CAN TRUST HIM TODAY
Then Jesus brings us back to today:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
— Matthew 6:34
Jesus doesn’t pretend there isn’t trouble. He actually says there is. Today has enough trouble of its own.
But perhaps that’s exactly why He tells us not to carry tomorrow’s trouble today.
- We don’t have to figure out the rest of our lives before dinner.
- We don’t have to know how everything is going to work out.
- We don’t have to have answers for problems that haven’t even arrived yet.
We can simply walk with Jesus today.
- Today’s need.
- Today’s decision.
- Today’s obedience.
- Today’s trust.
And when tomorrow becomes today? We’ll trust Him again.
Faith isn’t always one giant courageous decision. Sometimes faith looks like putting our hand back in God’s hand every morning and saying, Okay, Lord. I’m walking with You through this day too.
I CAN PRAISE HIM EVEN HERE
And this may be one of the hardest lessons we learn while walking with Jesus: We don’t have to wait until the hard is over to praise Him.
Psalm 34 begins:
“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
— Psalm 34:1
At all times.
- Not someday.
- Not when the problem is solved.
- Not when the provision arrives.
- Not when the fear disappears.
- Not when life finally looks the way we hoped it would.
Here.
Right here, in the middle of whatever we’re walking through.
Because our praise isn’t based on everything going right.
Our praise is based on who God is.
Psalm 34 doesn’t deny the reality of trouble. David talks about fear, affliction, broken heartedness, and trouble. But right in the middle of all of it, he keeps pointing toward God:
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me.” — Psalm 34:4
“Taste and see that the LORD is good.” — Psalm 34:8
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted.” — Psalm 34:18
This is what praise can look like in the hard.
- When fear starts talking, I can talk about my God.
- When circumstances tell me I’m alone, I can remind myself that God is near.
- When I don’t know what to do, I can cry out to Him.
- When I don’t know where provision is coming from, I can remember that my Father knows what I need.
Praise doesn’t require pretending the hard isn’t hard. Praise reminds our hearts that the hard isn’t the whole story.
- God is still here.
- God is still good.
- God still sees.
- God still knows.
And God is still worthy of our praise.
WALKING WITH JESUS THROUGH THE HARD
Maybe you’re in a season right now where tomorrow feels overwhelming.
- You don’t know how something is going to work out.
- You don’t know where the answer will come from.
- You don’t know how long this season will last.
- You may not know what tomorrow holds.
But you can know what is true today:
- My Father knows.
- I matter to Him.
- I can trust Him today.
- And I can praise Him even here.
That’s walking with Jesus through the hard.
- Not pretending.
- Not denying.
- Not having everything figured out.
Just continuing to put one faithful foot in front of the other with the One who already knows what you need.
Tomorrow? We’ll walk with Him again.
Hair Fire Check
Living with our hair on fire is often sparked by carrying the worries and troubles of our entire world on our own – all at one time.
Use these prompts to guide a conversation with God this week:
- What trouble from tomorrow are you carrying today?
- Where has fear about what might happen become louder than what you know to be true about your Father?
- Take a moment and name it.
Then remind yourself: My Father knows what I need.
Sit in conversation with God. Journal what He reveals.
Heart Fire Moment
Living with our heart on fire is the result of surrendering all to Him and living aligned with His word and His promises.
Read Matthew 6:25–34 and Psalm 34:1–8, 17–19 slowly today.
Sit with God on this question and see where He takes the conversation:
- What would it look like for me to praise God today—not someday when this gets better?
- How does knowing my Father sees me and knows what I need change what I do with today’s trouble?
Finish by speaking Psalm 34:1 aloud:
“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Whatever here looks like today, choose one thing you know to be true about God and praise Him for it.
You don’t have to wait until you’re through the hard to worship Him. You can walk with Jesus—and praise Him—even here.
Put It In Practice
Reading about trusting God in the hard is one thing. Learning to walk with Him through it is another.
I created a free 7-Day Walking With Jesus Through the Hard Journaling Guide to help you put these truths into practice through a simple daily rhythm:
READ His Word.
TALK honestly with God.
WALK with His truth into your day.
[Download the Free 7-Day Journaling Guide ]
For seven days, you’ll spend time in Matthew 6 and Psalm 34 learning to remember:
- My Father knows.
- I matter to Him.
- I can trust Him today.
- I can praise Him even here.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just bring your Bible, your real life, and an honest heart—and begin the conversation.
Daily conversations to deepen your faith…
Conversations at a Table for Two: Feeding a Hungry Soul.
