He cares for you!

Read: Psalm 55 & I Peter5:6-11

What is it that has you so shaken, so anxious?                                                                           

 Is it your constant companion day and night?                   

You just cannot seem to shake it off.                                    

He tells us to cast our cares on Him. When I was a young girl in school we used to have prayer each morning before starting our day, our teacher told us that we need to be honest with God because He already knows everything and wants to hear it from us.  She would tell us to be specific with whatever is bothering us and also in thanking Him. Be honest with Him.

The first place to start is to be humble before Him. As we humble ourselves before Him we acknowledge that He is Lord. In our humbleness we let go of all our pride, those things that keep us from Him and doing what He wants.  We can then give Him all our troubles, anxieties and worries because He truly cares for us.  When we do this He exalts us.  Jesus also invited people to cast their cares on Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30).

Jesus calls us to come to Him and cast our cares, burdens on Him. When we do, the promise is that we will find rest for our souls. The assurance is based on who He is. We can come to Him with any of our concerns in prayer, and, while the burden may still exist, our souls will find rest as we trust in Him to help us carry it and to sustain us through the trial.  God does not want us to be weighed down by the difficulties and worries of this life.

God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and able to handle all our cares. As a humble person, you can cast all your cares on Him because you know He cares for you.

Secondly, we need to be thankful!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

We can live a life without anxiety, worries and cares of this world.  We just need to bring them to Him and bring them with thanksgiving.  We know that He cares for us and we know that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  When we do, we can experience that peace that passes all understanding.  It is a matter of trusting, believing and leaving it all with Him.  When we are tempted to go back to those worries etc., we know that we already gave it to Him and we can trust Him with it all.

Do you tell the Lord the deep desires of your heart? 

Have you given Him all your anxieties, the things that worry you and keep you up at night and consume your day as well?

Prayer:

Father, we praise You for Your words of truth that we can hide in our hearts that we might not sin against You.  You sent Your Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away all our sin, grief and sorrow.  We have eternal life in Him!  Help us as we tend to worry about so many things, to leave it at the cross of Jesus, who took them upon Himself. Help us to know that you work all things together for our good and to grow us in faith in You.  

Lyn

Our Reading:  Psalm 3 and Ephesians 4:26 

Have you ever had a sleepless night where you couldn’t get the thoughts in your head to turn off? Has your mind replayed spoken words and troubling details like a recording on a continuous loop? Or perhaps you weren’t as focused on what had already transpired but instead, were troubled by what was yet to unfold. Did you dwell on the fear, anxiety and anticipation of what the future might hold?

I think we all could identify with times when we have wrestled with troubling thoughts and sleepless nights. After all, we can not control all of the events and circumstances that impact us. David also knew what it was like to be in dire circumstances. He was pursued on multiple occasions by those whom he loved and yet they meant him harm. But David gives us the answer to gaining peace of mind and restful sleep. 

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭

David placed his inability to control his circumstances into the hands of the One who could control all circumstances. David used beautiful imagery of God as:

-A shield about Him: We can take comfort in knowing that God can protect us and will not let anything touch us that has not been first sifted through His loving hands. Even difficult trials can be transformed by God into what He purposes for good.

-his glory: We can take our focus off of earthly troubles and focus as David did on the majesty and awe of God’s presence with us. Honoring and pleasing God should far outweigh anything else in our life, including the opinions of man or any material gain/ position.

-the lifter of his head: When our head is bowed down with weariness, depression or worry, we can find renewed comfort, hope, and strength as we surrender our circumstances to Him. He will carry our burdens for us and lift our countenance as we lean on Him. 

David focused on God’s ability vs his inability. He poured out his heart to God and then he rested in the knowledge that God heard his prayer.

“I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” Psalm‬ ‭3:4-5‬ ‭

Reflection:

1. How do you cope with sleepless nights and troubling thoughts? 
2. When you can’t sleep, do you turn to the Lord in prayer and seek wisdom in His Word?
3. Can you entrust your circumstances to God? 

Let’s Pray:

Father, We thank you for being a shield around us to protect us in this fallen world. May the splendor of Your Glory surround us with awe and wonder as we turn our eyes from worldly cares to focus on You, our Creator. We thank You for being the One who sustains us day by day. Grant us Your peace Lord and the blessing of restful sleep as we learn to trust in Your love and provision for our needs.           

Becky

A mindset is important. Here we are studying about anxiety and just a few days ago I allowed so much anxiety to flood my inner being that I developed a severe stomach ache. I was stressing about whether or not to try driving to work in a snow/ ice storm. It wasn’t a smart idea but I wanted to be a dutiful employee. My husband had to remind me that I was focusing on earthly matters instead of trusting the circumstances to God. I’m glad that he did that. It helped me to change my mindset.  

The Bible often addresses the importance of having a spiritual mindset. According to the World English Dictionary, a mindset is about the ideas and attitudes with which a person approaches a situation, esp when these are seen as being difficult to alter. Often in life, there will be circumstances beyond our control.  God wants us to look beyond the circumstances and focus on Him.  We have to trust the results and outcomes to Him and care about our duty to Him more than our duty to man. Instead of fretting until it affected my health, I should have been praying and resting in Him.  

Although it is a good testimony to be dutiful, hardworking, dependable, etc., we have to be careful not to make our priorities about pleasing others or performing for others.  Sometimes, we have to focus on the bigger picture and seek guidance from God about our decisions, and our priorities. 

“Who should we be trying to make the proudest? Our family? Our friends? Our teachers or bosses? What about the one who molded us out of the earth itself, who formed us like clay, and instilled within us the very breath of life that shaped the universe?” James D. Maxon

God wants us to stay focused and dependent on Him. Not only is this spiritual mindset important for our day to day circumstances but also for our grander perspective on life. By focusing on our eternal purpose and destiny, we can be freed      

from the anxiety of wasteful toil and effort focused on earthly gain and recognition. 

“He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he’s moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain.” Randy Alcorn

Have you ever been in an emergency situation and needed a place of refuge? I have. It was the year 1995. My husband was 230 miles away being cared for by his parents as he recovered from being in a plane crash. I was in Pensacola, Fl working and caring for our 20 month old daughter.  I woke up that morning to discover a strong hurricane had suddenly turned in the night and was heading directly for our coastline. I picked up my mom and a quick pack of things to head to where my husband was. 8 hours later we were only 40 miles north of Pensacola and traffic accidents had bogged down all of the major roadways. We kept hearing on the radio it wasn’t safe to stay in your car. We were tired, hungry and it would be getting dark soon. This was before cell phones, GPS or internet. I prayed for God’s intervention. I needed a rescuer and a place of refuge. How relieved I was to see a police officer’s car on the side of the road. I stopped and asked for help and he gave me directions to a high school that had been turned into a shelter. I never would have found this place located in a very rural area on my own. We were able to get a warm meal, stretch our legs, contact my worried husband and watch coverage of the storm on TV. God watched over us that day and night, providing who and what we needed. I am confident of that. And oh, how my heart rejoiced! 

What is a refuge? A refuge is a place that provides shelter or protection or it can be something to which one has recourse in difficulty. Perhaps you’ve seen in a parking garage a designated “Place Of Refuge”. These are places you can go in times of emergency and they often have 2 way communication with the rescuers. The Scriptures tell us in many places that God is our refuge place in the midst of the difficulties and dangers we face. But, we have to seek His refuge. We can’t stay exposed and vulnerable spiritually, trying to make it on our own in the midst of the dangers. To make God our refuge means we seek Him and have connection with Him so that He can guide us, and provide His spiritual resources for us.  He delights to help us and have us depend upon Him. Perhaps you have your own personal experience of finding refuge in a perilous circumstance. If so, please share on our fb page. 

Challenge: Are you depending on God to be your place of refuge? Are you staying connected to your spiritual lifeline? If not, make a point to intentionally seek Him in some way and make this a daily connection. It could be through prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other Christians, etc. 

Zephaniah 3:17 

We all have fears. Some rational, others not. And all have felt the grip of panic that comes with anxiety. The one that feels like a storm raging inside. A violence which causes our thoughts to swirl madly, our hearts to beat wildly, and our chests to tighten beyond breathing. But as with any storm, there is an eye. That place of stillness. A calmness which always appears in the middle of even the strongest hurricane. God is that eye of the storm. A victorious Savior, He calms the seas and quiets our storms with His love.

When we’re filled with fear and anxiety, unable to shut off our thoughts, we crave God’s quietness. To be able to just let it all go and rest in His perfect peace. Peace stemmed from the deep, unconditional love He has for each of us, His precious children. His love for us is so great, our Father in heaven rejoices with great shouts of joy, and songs of everlasting devotion! 

And because of His gift of the Holy Spirit, He now lives inside each of us forever. Never again do we have to face the storms of life alone, nor give in to fear and anxiety. For when we stand in the eye of the storm, there we will find the blue skies and sunshine of God’s perfect peace. All we have to do is be still, and focus on His quietness, promises and love.

The next time you find yourself struggling with your thoughts and spiraling out of control with fear, I challenge you to go to God in prayer immediately. Ask Him to calm your spirit and fill your heart with His peace. Receive His gladness. Let His quietness push away the storm clouds of anxiety. And let God’s love shine upon you like the rays of the summer sun appearing after the rain. 

Be sure to head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2 to join in on the discussion!

For some, anxiety is brought on by worrying about the future or how future events will unfold. For Christians, we know that our eternal future is secured because Jesus settled that on the cross long ago. He is the God of our salvation. Each moment that passes between today and our last physical breath will be a journey that shapes our preparation for Heaven and our influence on this Earth. 

No two lives will be the same and there are many obstacles and deceptions that the enemy will place in our path to make us falter, stumble and lose our way. The Psalmist knew that it was foolish to try and navigate life on his own. He knew that it was best to trust in the guidance of God. God wants us to be teachable in all of the moments and events that make up our lives. He wants to help us recognize truth and avoid deception. 

God also wants us to trust His timing. That can be hard for those of us who get anxious when things seem chaotic and we want to rush in to “fix” or handle a situation on our own. So many times I have been amazed to discover that when I place something in God’s hands and relinquish the details and outcomes to Him, He  gives me peace and He shows me His mighty hand at work. Sometimes He works to change the circumstances and sometimes He works within those circumstances to change me.  Either way, I am learning as the Psalmist that it’s always best to wait for the Lord. 

Challenge: Pick something you feel uneasy and anxious about because you don’t know how it will unfold in future days. Determine if you are trying to manage this in your own strength and wisdom? Seek God for direction and be willing to relinquish the outcomes to Him.  Wait for His timing and see if He changes the circumstances and /or if He uses those circumstances to change you. 

What if I told you that fear is a sin? How? Because fear stems from pride. And God has some pretty strong feelings about pride. (Proverbs 8:13) For pride submits to no one, thinking we ourselves know best. And it’s the same with fear. When we let fear dictate what we do and don’t do, we’re telling God we trust more in our own feelings than in His promises. So how can we knock fear off the throne in our lives? The throne intended for God alone? In writing his letter to the Jews, James gives us the tools. Humility and faith.

Humility is never an easy pill to swallow. Because admitting we are wrong, being vulnerable, and submitting is hard. But when we come to God with a truly humble heart, He doesn’t say, “I told you so.” Instead He welcomes us with open arms, inviting us to draw near to Him. To leave our pride and fear at the door, and safely shelter in His mighty fortress. An impenetrable tower of power, mercy, and wisdom. And when we put our faith in His perfect love and promises, we have no room to be afraid. And no weapon for the Enemy to wield. For, as 1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear.” 

We will never experience the peace that God offers without trusting Him completely with everything we are and everything we have. Because only by letting go and letting God, can real change happen. So today I challenge you to have an honest conversation with God. Draw near to Him, and lay your fears at the feet of Jesus. Give Him your sorrows, worries, tears, and anxiety. Let Him draw near to you, taking the reins in your life. Receive His healing of your heart and mind, and walk in the Lord’s freedom! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and be sure to join the discussion over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2

This reminder was perfect to share here at the end of the first week of our January challenge! What do you think? Did you accept any of the challenges? Were you able to feel God’s peace and see His hand at work in your life? We hope you’ll join us next week as we continue on our journey of letting go of anxiety and picking up God’s peace. Have a blessed weekend, and don’t forget to join the discussion over at Facebook by following the link. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2 

Anxiety is a dread or fear and a strong desire to avoid or escape a circumstance, feeling, or emotion. Anxiety can weaken our faith and keep us from being the strong Christian we are called to be. Satan wants to keep us crippled and ineffective in our Christian lives. He has declared war on God’s people and he wants to intimidate us us so we tuck our tail and run or hide. God knows that in this spiritual battle, we need His help to be victorious. He doesn’t want us to cower against the attacks of our enemy. He wants us to stand and be protected in battle. He provides us our Spiritual Armor but we have to actively don it and put it to use. The first item we must take up and wrap around us is the belt of truth. Upon this belt our other armor and weapons are secured. Deception is Satan’s specialty and we must seek and know the truth that God teaches us through His Word in order to expose the lies of Satan meant to confuse and trouble us. 

Anxiety can make us full of doubt and insecurity. It’s true that in our own effort, we can never be wise enough, strong enough or good enough to be righteous no matter how hard we try. But God imputed His righteousness to us through the salvation of Jesus. The breastplate of righteousness is the second piece of armor and it is secured by the belt of truth. It protects the most vital parts of us and keeps us spiritually alive. Our joy is the eternal life imparted to us by the righteousness of God that can never be destroyed. We are not helpless, worthless or defeated. We are children of the most High God and no matter what comes at us, we are called to be battle ready. In Christ….we can stand and face any circumstance. God will enable us. 

Challenge: Each morning, prepare for battle by putting on your spiritual armor. Have the mindset of an empowered Christian, knowing that God wants you to be confident and able to stand against whatever the enemy tries to attack you with. And remember, you have the Holy Spirit to guide you. You are not alone. 

“Anxiety is blatant distrust of the power and love of God.” 

― John F. MacArthur Jr., Anxious for Nothing: God's Cure for the Cares of Your Soul

The two days in every week that we should not worry about...

Here’s what God says about yesterday:

“…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Phil.3:13)

“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18)

Here’s what God says about tomorrow:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt.6:34)

“Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Prov.27:1)

Here’s what God says about today:

“This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)