No Fear

Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

You know those really good movies that are thrillers, where the actors master that “look” of anxiety, when something scary is about to happen?  And when it does, the audience screams?!  Those are fun to watch on the big screen, because those situations are not real – they’re staged.

However, sitting in fear and wondering when the next disaster is going to occur is not fun, or thrilling.  It’s debilitating.  It renders us useless.

If we look “about” us we will see a fallen world, news stories that are full of fear, disappointments in people around us, and potholes on every road we drive.

But we are told to NOT look about us in anxiety, but rather to look at God – our strength.

Imagine walking down a street strewn with potholes and sinkholes and that’s all you can see under your feet, while you walk alone.  Super scary!  But then imagine someone holding your hand, someone who knows where every hole is and who will not let go of you.  You can skip, you can look up and enjoy the sunshine, and you can even jump in his arms and sleep because you KNOW he’s got you.

You don’t have to imagine that.  He does have you by his righteous right hand.  So relax, and do not fear.

Try Me

Psalm 139 says Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Would you want to stand trial for every anxious and fearful thought you’ve had?  I would not!  I would be found guilty, daily.  Yet, the psalmist here invites God to try him and know his thoughts.

God knows our thoughts, anyway.  He knows them before we think them, because he knows our heart.  And he knows that anxiety and fear are hurtful.  Anxiety is not good for us physically, and it’s not good for us mentally and emotionally…and spiritually.  And yet many of us sit in a pool of anxiety until we’re shriveled up.

There is no fear in asking God to search us.  He’s not one who will search and condemn.  He is one who will search and heal, and lead us to a higher place of thinking – the everlasting way.

Allow God in to search your heart, every nook and cranny.  Allow him to speak to those dark places in your heart where fear resides, and allow him so shine his light – not to blind you – but to deliver you.

He will.  Because he loves you so.

Multiplication

Psalm 98 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

Anxious thought really do multiply, don’t they?  We start with one thought, just as we lay our heads down on our pillows at night.  And before long, we’ve got a list a mile long of worries about tomorrow that keep our eyes open and our hearts fluttering.

Nighttime is the worst, for some reason.  When the darkness settles in and all is quiet, there they come marching in – like ants – anxious thoughts. 

But here in this verse it says His consolations delight my soul.

So just what are his consolations?  They are the truth about his character and who He is:

He’s your heaven father, he cares for you, he is powerful, he is mighty, he cares for you, he is omnipresent, he is faithful, he cares for you, he is for you and not against you, he cares for you.

Do you see the repeated phrase in that sentence?

If you’re anxious at any point during the day, start reciting the goodness of God in your life and the truth of his word about you and yours, and let those true thoughts delight you.

Thorns

Matthew 13:22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

This is the parable of the seeds – how they fall on different types of soil (different types of heart) and how they grow…or don’t grow.

This seed in this verse fell on thorny soil.  And it did not grow.  Why? Partly because of worry. 

When we receive the word of God that he cares for us, loves us, and will provide for us – that’s good seed.  It’s the truth. 

But when we receive that word and water it with worry, it’s like thorns that grow up around the truth and choke it until the word is not fruitful in our lives.

The word of God has to be coupled with faith.  And we have to choose purposefully to believe it, even when we don’t feel like it, or see it before our eyes. 

The worry of the world and all that’s in it (wealth that we lust for and desire) is not fertilizer for the soul.  In fact it’s a killer.

So...

Matthew 6: 33, 34 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here’s the summation of this past week of the “cure for anxiety.”

Seek Him and His kingdom FIRST.

If we run about seeking all of things we think we desire and need, before we seek all of these things from His hand, we will be anxious.  We will fear.  We will worry.

But if we seek him first, his ways, his provision, his peace, his covering, then all of those things that have us running in circles will be provided, and we will be non-worriers.  We will be at peace.  We will rest.

And finally, tomorrow.  Oh that elusive day that reappears daily with troubles that plague our minds.  What will tomorrow bring?  Will we have enough tomorrow?  How will we make it tomorrow?  You know the questions… because tomorrow can have troubles.

Jesus says to not worry about tomorrow.

It’s not easy, with the minds that we have that plan, look ahead, and dream.

With all of these instructions for an anxious free life, Jesus tells us how it’s to be done – by seeking him first.

This means praying, trusting, and resting in the knowledge that he is a good father and takes care of his children.

And the only way we can accomplish this worry-free life is by repenting of worry, and receiving his strength to gather that which he provides, to stand in all of his glory, and to eat at his table he’s prepared for us, dressed and covered in his glory.

Don't Do It

Matthew 6: 31, 32  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 

Jesus repeats himself, encouraging and admonishing us again, to NOT WORRY about food, drink, and clothing – those things that sustain us for life.  It must be important for us to listen to his words!

He mentions here that the Gentiles (those who didn’t follow Christ) run about eagerly seeking these three things.  In other words, when we strive over the necessities of life, we are not living in peace like Jesus wants to offer us – peace that comes from rest – rest that comes from knowing Him – knowing Him that comes from faith in who he is – who he is, is our heavenly father.

A good father knows his children need food on the table, water in the glasses, and clothes in the closets, and he provides them – all the children have to do is show up, give thanks, and enjoy.

That’s the picture here. 

Jesus has a table set before us, one that is full of good things to eat and drink.  He has forgiveness, peace, righteousness, mercy, love and so much more draped across our chairs that we can wear to sit at his table – because all of those things are clothing he provides for us.

We can sit off to the side and run in circles worrying about whether or not all of that is for us, or we can come and wear, come and eat, and come and drink….

He wants us to come.

The Grass

Matthew 6:30

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 

Just after Jesus’ instruction to observe the lilies, the beautiful flowers that adorn a grassy field, he mentions the grass itself.  In fact, now he wants us to note the fleeting characteristics of grass. 

Observe your own grass in your own yard.  It’s probably turning green now and will soon be lush, soft and gorgeous in a few weeks, as winter disappears and spring rains and sunshine revive it once again to its true color.  However, we all know that come the heat of the summer and the scorching rays of the sun, our grass will suffer tremendously.

But wait!  God wants us to recall that he is the one who sets forth these seasons of lush green and dirty brown, and he takes care of his creation, causing all things to blossom, lie dormant, and reappear – in their season.

And once again, now for the third time, he reminds us that it’s his responsibility and pleasure to clothe us!

In fact, he says so gently to us, “You of little faith,” when we worry about these things.

Clothing is super important to note in these verses – that which covers our private parts – so that what others see is what covers us – not the real us.

Jesus wants to cover us, provide for us literal clothing, and spiritual clothing, so that we don’t live in anxiety and fear of being “found out.” 

He wants us to be pure and beautiful, standing in his “son” shine, growing and reaching toward the light, splendid to behold…