In the biblical narrative, the concept of "overmuch care" or excessive anxiety is often depicted as a consequence or punishment for those who turn away from God's commandments and pursue wickedness. This theme is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating how a life devoid of trust in God leads to a state of perpetual worry and unrest.

The Book of Proverbs frequently contrasts the peace of the righteous with the turmoil of the wicked. Proverbs 10:24 states, "What the wicked dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted." Here, the dread and anxiety of the wicked are highlighted as inevitable outcomes of their actions. Their constant fear and worry are portrayed as a form of divine retribution, a natural consequence of living outside the protective boundaries of God's will.

In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the issue of anxiety in the Sermon on the Mount. While His teachings primarily encourage believers to trust in God's provision, they also imply that those who do not place their trust in God are left to their own devices, resulting in overmuch care. Matthew 6:31-32 says, "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans strive after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them." The implication is that those who do not rely on God, like the pagans, are consumed by worry and anxiety.

The prophet Isaiah also speaks to this theme, particularly in Isaiah 57:20-21 : "But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and muck. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'" The imagery of a restless sea vividly captures the inner turmoil and incessant care that characterize the lives of the wicked. Their lack of peace is a direct result of their rebellion against God.

In the Psalms, the fate of the wicked is often contrasted with the security of those who trust in the Lord. Psalm 37:1-2 advises, "Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they will wither quickly like grass and fade like the green herb." The psalmist reassures the faithful that the apparent success of the wicked is fleeting, and their lives are ultimately marked by anxiety and instability.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, further elaborates on the spiritual consequences of turning away from God. In Romans 1:21 , he writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts." This futility and darkness can be understood as a form of overmuch care, where the absence of divine guidance leads to a life filled with confusion and worry.

Throughout Scripture, overmuch care is depicted as both a natural consequence and a divine punishment for the wicked. It serves as a stark reminder of the peace and assurance that come from living in accordance with God's will, contrasting sharply with the anxiety and unrest that accompany a life of disobedience.Ezekiel 4:16
Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 12:19
And say to the people of the land, Thus said the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The First Book
... to desire to exercise the same care for the ... great, and their sin is increased overmuch."
[93] The ... to prefigure that coming judgment, when he sent Gehenna down ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the first book.htm

Matt. xxvii. 11, 12
... set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him ... 2. See how much care he taketh
for them to ... such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." [3082 ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxxxvi matt xxvii 11.htm

Rom. xiv. 1, 2
... the feebler sort, he does on this ground need considerable care. ... and lest by having
humored you overmuch, I should ... the Kingdom, and the other He sent away into ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxv rom xiv 1.htm

The Seventh Book
... sought peace and we denied it; they sent bishops to ... of the public morals in different
places took care that the ... a little of this evil, but overmuch, not that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the seventh book.htm

The Letter of the Church of Rome
... Consequently he sent out men to capture them, intending to ... 21 Take care, dear friends,
that his many blessings ... Do not indulge in talking overmuch." [86] ?^6We ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the letter of the church.htm

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book iii.
... supplication, [92] not that some flame sent down from on ... all the anxieties concerned
with the care of virgins ... Paul and "be swallowed up by overmuch sorrow." [123 ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 3.htm

The Oration on Holy Baptism.
... the Word of life, Who is the Bread sent down from ... Wherefore do not overmuch dread
the purification. ... praise; partly by nature, and partly by the care with which ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xl the oration on.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... sin; and now will vexation be mixed with punishment, and that ... who was more than an
ordinary doctor, sent for, to ... him of all love that he would take care of his ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... of the Law, the Avesta, was then sent back to ... precious woods, preferably cypress
or laurel;* care was taken ... passing over it; death was the punishment for any ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

English Version of the Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... 16:15, 16; Luke 24:47, when he sent forth his ... And, We need not take any great care
for repentance, etc ... to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof, to ...
/.../english version of the second.htm

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Care: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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