We live in perilous times. There seems to be so much to fear. I'm sure we all ponder the what if's of life. I have to confess that I am guilty. What if I lose my job, what if the stock market falls and my nest egg is wiped out, what if I am laid off from my job, or suddenly become ill and am unable to work? What if my spouse passes away, how will I support myself? What if a hurricane comes (that one is very real to me here in SE Louisiana) and blows my home away? Katrina is still etched in my memory.
I guess I've always been what you might call a worry-wart. I was meditating today and suddenly realized how much I've improved with regard to abandoning worry. I have been really spending a lot of time in the word of God for the past several months and have discovered something very powerful. This is something that we should all know, especially if we are people of faith, but I think we sometimes forget. God's word is life! We are instructed to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. It is our nourishment, and when we are nourished, we are healthy in mind, body and spirit. As we feed upon his word, his peace and love fills us up and removes all doubt and fear. We begin to see all of his promises for our good and suddenly all of our concerns melt away.
We are given great advice in his word to avoid anxious thoughts and fears. We are told that perfect love casts out fear. We are instructed to live for today and not borrow the worries of tomorrow, for they will take care of themselves. Have you ever found yourself worrying "today" about "tomorrow" and, when "tomorrow" arrived, it wasn't as bad as you had imagined? The problem is that we already lived our worse fears and, although they never materialized, the effect upon our body and mind did it's damage. That is definitely not healthy and not what God wants for us.
I was reminded today that the highest honor we can bestow on our father is to trust him. I remember when I was a child. I was petrified of water. My parents told me the story of how a big wave on a Florida beach grounded me and that gave birth to my fear. I was a toddler at the time and don't remember the incident, but it undoubtedly left an indelible image upon my mind. When I was older, my parents were determined to get me over this, and my dad began encouraging me by getting into a pool and asking me to jump into his arms. He assured me that he would catch me and nothing would happen, but I wasn't convinced. My fear paralyzed me. However, through much patience and understanding, my dad was able to create in me a measure of trust that allowed me to take the plunge. That one leap of faith brought forth a very accomplished swimmer and gratitute for a dad that didn't give up on me, but through love and support, allowed me to dispel all fear and find enjoyment in one of life's most cherished childhood activities. Florida beaches have become my favorite vacation destination and I love the water!
We all have fearful thoughts. That is part of being human. We need to recognize them as pitfalls that Satan has placed in our path. God's word is filled to the brim with wonderful promises that can dispel all fear and worry. Some that mean a great deal to me follow:
.PROVERBS 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
ROMANS 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose
And.......my favorite!
Psa 91:1-8 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
In my opinion, everything that the Bible tries to teach us roots from the fact that trust is the #1 criteria before Faith takes full effect.
ReplyDeleteThe story about the Manna that fell from the sky as food for the Jews that were traveling in the desert after fleeing from Egypt is a great lesson in how much trust is necessary before we can appreciate what faith is.
We were commanded not to save anything because we would always get a fresh batch the next day....but, though it is unbelievable, many Jews did not listen because they feared that the Manna would not fall the next day. They did not trust so the "pitfalls that Satan has placed in our path" - fear - invaded our reality and caused us to lose sleep.
Faith allows us to have no fear. Trust is necessary before we can be faithful.