Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
— Philippians 4:6
One affirmation everyone likes to hear is that everything is going to be okay. I know I do. Especially when I’m in a tough spot.
It is easy to be happy when everything is going well. It is when things go bad that we become anxious. Like when you suddenly realize that the car to your right that was supposed to stop at the stop sign is still moving. That gets people’s adrenaline up! Another fun event is being called into the boss’s office without warning. They usually don’t do that to pat someone on the back.
One time when I was a kid in high school I was having trouble keeping up with the rest of the group. We were on a steep trail that wound back and forth down a mountainside. I spotted what I thought was a shortcut and dashed down the trail to catch up. Only it wasn’t a shortcut. It wasn’t even a trail. It was just a way to get to the edge of a cliff that dropped off to who-knows-where.
When things like that happen my mind kicks into high gear. Being “anxious” takes over completely. Yet, by focusing on God, placing our prayers and requests before him, we can be at peace. If I had done that instead of being anxious about catching up I likely would have avoided the panic that ensued.
Application: Trust God. Talk to Him. Tell him what you need and ask for his help.
Food for Thought: What is life like when a person is not anxious about anything?
I love the picture in Psalm 46:10. Just being free in total trust would eliminate much of the stress and running around that too often plagued my life. I often tell the Lord that I think I know what Psalm 46:10 means, but I must not believe it by the way I live. Lord, help my unbelief to turn to trust.
Psalm 46:10 –
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Brother Rich,
Thank you for the psalm today! We are all challenged with our need to trust God. Yet even in this we have God’s help! 🙂
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
— Philippians 4: 13
Today, in this very moment, I need to be still and know that he is God.
Good timing on the response.
👍