Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? MAT 6:27.

Jesus has appealed to our reason and logic, directing our attention to His Father's care for those little birds who are of so much less value. V:26 says, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Immediately after this reasoning with our logic, He comes with the words of our text. He now turns our attention to our own frailty. We see this frailty in our text.

He is pointing out how insignificant everything is which we do that is outside of the Lord's blessing. In other words, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain," PSA 127:1.

It is a most blessed thing when we are in business, or in an occupation, or making a provision for our family if we come to the realization that we need the Lord's blessing on every step we take and on every decision we make. The Lord Jesus brings our insignificance and frailty to our attention. "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" The word, thought, means an anxious thought, having anxiety or perplexity or worry, i.e., a grievous internal anxiety over things we cannot supply.

Jesus is saying that through anxiety we are not going to add a half a step to our stature, i.e., our maturity of years, or in other words, our life span, or who by anxiety can add one half a step to how big or great we are? This is a very important question for each of us to answer by examining our own heart and life and thinking. When we see our frailty with all our thought, planning, and everything we do, we can't add a half a step without the Lord's blessing and provision.

Our text is in context with Christ's admonition against anxiety about our cares for this life. Now let us look at the context in which this word stature is used in our text, for that will determine the meaning of the word. Jesus is speaking about our cares and our desires after things of this life.

Who by anxious thought and grievous anxiety can add one cubit, or one moment to his life span? How are you going to add one minute to the length of your life by taking thought? We are talking about concerns over food, drink, clothing, and the necessities of life in the previous verse. He tells us to look at the birds, the Lord supplies them with all their needs.

Are you afraid you will starve, or not have sufficient clothing to protect your body from freezing or dehydration? Filling your life with worry and anxiety over the things of this life will not add one moment to your life span.

The psalmist in PSA 39:5 is directing our attention to the brevity of our life as he compares our life with the span of one's hand. "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah."