When you focus on praising the Lord, you don’t need to worry!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
(Philippians 4:6 (NIV))

Do you worry? Are you anxious about things in your life that just seem to overwhelm you? Do you spend more time worrying about the what-ifs instead of praying to the one who can provide peace? What is it about our human nature that makes us worry about everything? I would venture to say that some of us even worry about whether our salvation is real because we may not feel saved at times.

Worry!

Anxiousness!

Anxiety!

Troubles?

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33 (NIV))

Why do we feel that we need to worry? Jesus told us that we would have troubles, but we can fully trust in Him to see us through our troubles. Think about that from this perspective. When we worry, when we are anxious, we say that we doubt Jesus. We say that we don’t think that He will fulfill His promises to overcome the world. Does this put a fresh and different perspective on worry and anxiousness? Does it make you want to stop and pray instead of worrying? Let’s take this one step further and offer up thankful prayers for what the Lord has already done for us. We should also prayerfully look forward to what He is doing for us in the moment and in what is to come.

When you focus on praising the Lord, you don’t need to worry!

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Trust in the Lord to care for you!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
(1 Peter 5:7 (NIV))

To me, this verse goes hand in hand with the following passage.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
(Philippians 4:6 (NIV))

The basic concept in both passages indicate that we, as the Body of Christ, should not have anything to be worried or anxious about. There is one stipulation that most people have a tendency to miss when they think of not be anxious or worried and that is the simple fact that we are to turn our worries over to God. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our anxiety on him. When you cast, such as casting fishing nets or casting a fishing rod, it is an action where you physically throw things away from you in hopes of bringing back something better. Philippians 4:6 talks about bringing your worries to God through prayer and praise. This, too, requires an action on our part. In either case, we should not be timid when approaching our Father.

Consider the following scenario. You are walking and you lose your balance and fall. As a result of the fall, you are behind some bushes and in need of assistance to get back on your feet. Do you simply lie there and hope that someone will come along, see you and offer assistance or do you shout for help? It takes action to bring your needs before someone who can be of assistance. It takes a boldness to make the request and a confidence that your request will be answered. This is no different than being bold enough to approach God and “cast” your worries, anxieties and needs upon His strong shoulders.

Are you on speaking terms with God?

Do you trust God to fulfill His promises?

Are you willing to take the action that is needed to “cast” your troubles on God?

Are you to embarrassed to talk to God about your anxieties? Don’t you think that He already knows what they are? He has the answer. He is just waiting for you to leave whatever is troubling you at the foot of the cross!

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Rejoice in your weakness, for God will give you strength!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV))

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

We definitely have something to rejoice about. We have a God who loves us and gives us His peace, a peace that passes all understanding. He will protect us, and He will answer our prayers. His peace comes from His grace. This is a grace that is capable of handling any obstacle that it encounters.

God did not promise that He would protect us from temptation and hardship. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, even when tormented by a messenger of Satan, God simply responded that His grace was all that is required. He did promise us that He would deliver us through weakness. This recures throughout His Word. “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” (Psalms 37:11)

When the world says that you must be strong in order to survive, we, as believers, know that our strength does not lie within us. It comes to us and through us from God. It is through our weaknesses that God can show His strength in a way that those who witness the results will know that it did not happen of our doing.

Rejoice in your weakness, for God will give you strength!

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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