Paul said in Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
I have written more than one devotion and several blogs about worry. I know that to worry is to “doubt God”, or at least to be ill-at-ease about what He might or might not do to help remove the thing that’s causing me to be anxious. And yet I still find myself ready to jump out of my skin lately.
And as I have grown to trust God more, the devil has become more imaginative in his attempts to get me to worry. His present arsenal includes enticing me to think that maybe things won’t work out after all because I have not tried hard enough, prayed enough, made all the right moves, etc. And of course, all this things are true!
I don’t want to whine or waste your time by me listing all the things that cause me to wake up several times during the night, but I am pressed on all sides, and I feel, perhaps wrongly, that if I do not address the challenges, aggressively, each day, the collapse of all the work I have put into this Christian camp is certain. This might sound melodramatic, but my situation for the past seven years seems hopeless, save for the continued assurance and rescue He sends to me—-every time in the most unexpected and amazing ways.
Why has He chosen to allow me to live on the brink like this, for so long? I don’t know, nor am I likely to find out in this life. And the truth is, I don’t have to know—all I must do is trust Him and live and behave as an obedient son. I am not entitled to comprehend His ways, but am expected to rest in the knowledge that His hand is upon me and His angels are watching over me.
In raising three boys, each with events happening daily that cause them to worry (girls, friends, grades, bullies, careers), I am trying to guide them to trust God, confess their fears and worries, and then let go and let Him show them His ability to intervene and give them peace. But if I can’t do this in my own life, pity my sons—they’re challenges are just as formidable as mine and they’re watching me to see how I hold up.
Who is watching to see if you trust God?
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