Yesterday I made a note with three different verses on it, verses I really need constant reminding of right now. The first one listed is Proverbs 3.5-8, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." As I wrote yesterday's post my mind kept going to the second verse I added to the list.
As I said yesterday, there is a lot on my heart and mind. I'm a more calm today than I was yesterday, but still a lot up in the air. Definitely need to be trusting God, and not worrying; otherwise I'm going to drive myself crazy. How can we know and show that we trust God? How can we live lives without worry? Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"Be anxious for nothing" yeah, that's what I need to listen to right now. Anxiety is not of God, and it has no place in the lives of His children. It's easy as humans to be anxious, but it only comes when we don't trust God. We are anxious when we think that God might not come through for us. We are anxious when we feel we've made too big a mess of things for God to fix. We are anxious when we believe we have to make our own security for the future. Anxiety is the opposite of trust. If trust is giving our problems to God, anxiety is taking them right back. And so we are told to be anxious for nothing.
"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" I love that it says "but". Don't be anxious, but instead to this. Rather than worry, which only makes things seem worse than they are, we need to talk to God. We need to pray. The word "supplication" has also been translated as "petition" I believe in the NIV, it means "humble prayer." We are to come humble before God, and share what is on our hearts. God wants to hear our requests, it says "let your requests be made known to God." God wants us to pray to Him, He wants us to make requests of Him. Requests, not demands. And our requests are to be made with thanksgiving. This is only possible with humility. We thank God for the chance to come before Him. We thank God for listening to us. We thank God for all that He has done and is going to do. We don't worry, we give it to God.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The result of humble prayer offered with gratitude, is peace. Trust brings healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones, that is what the peace of God does. It goes beyond all worry and reason, and assures us that God has this. It's a reminder that no matter what happens, we always have Christ. Paul says just a few verses in latter that "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (verses 11-13). Contentment in Christ is found in the fact that no matter what we go through, we always have Christ. This is the peace of God.
Trust and healing, prayer and worry free life. Straight paths walked with Christ. This is what comes when we trust in God, and God will do it. The last verse on my list says so.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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