Worrying cannot add a cubit to our stature

 Amen. This is a powerful and practical truth spoken by Jesus Himself. It cuts to the heart of our natural tendency to be anxious about the future, reminding us that worry is not only fruitless but also a sign of misplaced trust.

This teaching comes from the Sermon on the Mount:

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" - Matthew 6:27 (ESV)

"And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" - Luke 12:25 (NKJV)

A "cubit" was a unit of measurement (about 18 inches), and the phrase means that worry cannot add even the smallest amount to our lifespan or physical stature.

What Does This Mean?

Jesus is making a logical argument from the lesser to the greater:

· If you cannot control even the smallest details of your life (like adding an inch to your height) through worry...

· ...then how can you hope to control the larger, more complex circumstances of your life (like your health, safety, and provision) through the same worry?

Worry is fundamentally powerless. It expends immense mental and emotional energy but produces zero positive results. It cannot change the past, control the future, or add a single moment to our lives. In fact, it often subtracts from our present joy and peace.

A Prayer to Replace Worry with Trust

Heavenly Father,

Your Word exposes the futility of my worry. I confess that I often try to carry burdens that belong to You. I act as if my anxiety can control outcomes, when in reality, it only steals my peace and reveals my lack of trust.

Forgive me. Right now, I release my worries to You. I lay down my anxieties about my health, my future, my finances, and my relationships. I acknowledge that I am not in control, but You are.

I choose to trust in Your perfect love and sovereign care. You have numbered my days, and You hold them in Your hands. Help me to live faithfully in each moment You give me, free from the bondage of worry about the next.

Thank you for Your promise to provide all that I need. I receive Your peace that guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

In His name, Amen.

A Poem: "Worry Cannot Add a Cubit"

"Worry Cannot Add a Cubit"

Why do you worry, oh my soul? Why let the anxious thoughts take toll? Can all your fretting,all your fear, Add to your life another year?

Can you by straining, tense and tight, Turn darkness into morning light? Can you by wishing,make the rain, Bring back the sun,remove the pain?

No, worrying cannot add a cubit to your life, It only multiplies your inner strife. It is a futile,empty cost, For what is gained?For what is lost?

It is the thief of present joy, A fearful,future-focused ploy. It tells you that you are alone, And that God's care is not well-known.

So turn your eyes from what may be, And on the Father,who does see. The One who clothes the lily fair, Will surely your own burden bear.

So cast your care on Him today, And let your anxious thoughts just pray. For He is faithful,He is true, And He will always care for you.

May this truth set you free today. When you feel worry rising, remember its utter powerlessness and choose instead to cast your care upon the One who holds your life securely in His hands.