Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”- Psalm 121:1-2
“And call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”-Psalm 50:15
Insight: We are living in a world that is riddled with anxiety. Almost everyone I meet is anxious about something and anxiety is wreaking havoc on people in many different ways from inability to concentrate, to not being able to sleep, to feeling no enjoyment or pleasure in life to using alcohol or drugs to try and cope with the fears they’re feeling and to anesthetize the pain of it all. It certainly feels like bad news is all around us and if we don’t know where to turn to find hope, it can feel very dark and depressing at the moment. That is why it is so important we cling to the promises of God in scripture to help us in these very difficult days.
One of the things that I was made aware of that I had to change, was how I was clinging so tight to the false perception of being in control. It was like as events were spinning more and more out of control, I was clinging tighter and tighter with clenched fists trying to trick myself into believing I was in control. Finally, I had to “resign my position as ruler of the Universe,” as Max Lucado teaches, and get back into trusting in the God who really is in control. We all like to feel like we are in control, but after going through a global pandemic which has reeked damage in so many areas of our lives that we used to count on for a sense of security, we must admit to ourselves that we have no control over many of the macro events taking place in the world right now. People have endured immense pain and suffering during the last two years that has left them reeling. Many people have lost loved ones, and often without even being able to see them or to be with them to comfort them before they passed away. How horrible the pain must be for those who have experienced that. Terrible financial loss has been inflicted on many families and businesses. Kids have suffered greatly in a strange world of mask wearing and the emotional toll of social distancing. The whole thing has turned our world upside down. But we must remember one thing: God is firmly in control and “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” according to Romans 8:28. If ever there was a time to cling to God, to rely on His promises and to ask for His help, the time is now. There are literally hundreds of scripture that promise He will protect us, He will provide for us, He will comfort us and He will help us, but we must take the first step and seek Him and ask for His help. ( Matthew 7:7 ) He can’t help us if we are running away from Him, instead of towards Him. This is a time to depend on Him more than ever as the confusion in the world can obliterate us if we don’t turn to Him and His Word to find truth. Psalm 145:18 says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 25:5 says “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” John 17:17 succinctly says “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Anxiety can be alleviated to some degree by knowing God’s word and relying on it to provide us a roadmap of truth, which leads to hope. We can find the hope that seems so elusive everywhere else by scouring God’s Word and meditating on the scriptures that point to it. Jesus himself promises us the rest we all need in Matthew 11:28-30 when He says to us ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Let’s be sure we take Him up on His offer, and try to find a shelter from the storms of anxiety that are plaguing the world right now in His loving arms.
Payer- Father God, we live in a time of high anxiety. Your Word is the antidote for our anxiousness and your promises in scripture give us hope that we can’t find anywhere else. Let us cling to You and release our grip on thinking we are in control of anything. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen!
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