“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
– Matthew 6:25-33 [NLT]
God tells us not to worry, especially about money, but we often end up in situations where it seems all we can do is worry. As someone who has faced intense financial hardship, I can assure you that God is looking out for his children.
This year was the year I felt God stretched me the most. Back in March, I was forced to live in my mother’s old trailer house in Hamlet, North Carolina, after my cousin told me I had to leave due to him moving and not being on his lease. It was absolutely soul-crushing dwelling in my childhood home without any of the amenities I once knew. I lived without air conditioning, heat, running water, gas, and electricity for six months.
I almost felt like I wanted to give up on God.
Early last week, one of my college counselors asked me about my living conditions. He saw that I had just lost my job due to no power, yet I was still coming to campus every day. He called a social worker to go to my house, and they booked me a hotel for a week. They told me that I was not coming back there and they would help me move to wherever I wanted to.
God may not always do what we want Him to, but He’s always looking out for His people.
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