The News

Tonight I briefly had the news on while I got a piece of knitting to a good stage to put it down for the night. Following yesterday's budget the discussion was largely about the impact the government's spending plans would have on public services. Quite frankly, as someone who is a user of quite a few NHS services, I found it terrifying. We have been used to twelve years of New Labour lavishing money on the public services; indeed I have grown up with little else. I am painfully aware that any services helping those with chronic or non-emergency conditions are likely to be hit, such as mental health services, which are already struggling.

I was this panicked after about two minutes of the news. However, then I remembered God, remembered that as the song goes, "He's got the whole world in His hands". Our Father owns "the cattle on a thousand hillsides" Psalm 50 and is more than able to look after His children. It is so good to be able to remember this, breathe a deep sigh of relief and thank God.

Of course this does not mean that we will automatically have worldly 'prosperity', or even enough to eat, but it does mean that we will have enough grace for everything that happens. It means that everything will be ok in the end, so I can stop panicking.

"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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6