There are seasons of my life when I struggle with anxiety. Fear just comes over me because I am overwhelmed by my situation. Not only do I begin to wonder if God hears my prayers, but I also question if He understands that my prayer needs an answer … like yesterday!
As I reflect on my experiences, I have seen myself respond to these feelings of anxiety in two different ways. The first response is deciding that God doesn’t understand the urgency of the matter so I take charge of the situation myself.
We read in 1 Samuel 13:7b-9 how Saul did just that. In spite of receiving clear instructions from the prophet Samuel to wait for him, Saul decided he could not wait any longer and took matters into his own hands. Tragically, his impatience ultimately cost him his position as king.
The other response I have had with feelings of anxiety is to obey God at His Word, whether it means waiting or doing something that is outside of my comfort zone.
When we read about Abraham in the book of Genesis, we learn that he believed in God’s promise as He waited for years to become a father. But after the promise was fulfilled, he also followed every instruction to sacrifice this long-awaited son. This obedience yielded Abraham the greatest blessing of all as he became known as the father of many nations.
Taking matters into his own hands led to a demotion for Saul, while waiting on the Lord led to elevation for Abraham.
My prayer is that this encourages you today my Friend, but I have to be honest by sharing that I needed to be reminded of this today.
Psalm 46:10 (TPT) says, “Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth.”
The struggle with anxiety is real. But we can deal with it by going to the Lord, worshipping Him, giving thanks for His faithfulness, sharing our worries and fears, and trusting that He is sovereign over all.
Just as “the Lord went before them (the Israelites) by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and night.” (Exodus 13:21 ESV), may our hearts be at rest knowing that God goes before us in all of our situations as well.
~Joyce
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