Psalm Chapter 3 ~
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom. “O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O LORD. May your blessings rest on your people.”
I doubt that anyone reading this would have to be on the run for their lives, but that’s what David was doing. He was running from his son Absalom, people were saying that God would not rescue him, but he still had the faith to say ” But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain.” Then the verse goes on to read that he laid down and slept. I’m not sure about you, but if I knew that my life was in danger and there were people looking for me, I wouldn’t be able to just lay down and go to sleep. He had to have faith and then peace to know that God was taking care of him.
Do you have that type of faith and peace? I use to be a huge worrier. I’m doing better, but sometimes I do struggle with worry. I will worry and then realize that I haven’t given it to God, then I’ll pray, I will feel 100 % better, then later I will start worrying again! Does anyone else do this?
Worrying changed for me when I heard this illustration: Imagine you are standing in the presence of God. You are weighed down with worry. He is standing there with His hands stretched out waiting for you to give it to Him. You reach out but if your like me you hesitate doing it, (why is it so hard to just let go?) then you finally hand it over! The relief that you feel is intense. You know that He has it under control now! You should have done that earlier! Your doing great until you start getting those annoying little thoughts and then before you know it worry is back. So what do you do, you take that situation, all the worry from God’s hands. Now you have that worry back and guess what? You feel burdened….again. Everyone have this illustration in your mind? When you hand over something to God and then take it back from Him (by worrying all over again) it’s like your saying, “Ok God, I know that I gave this to you, but I just don’t think that you can handle it.” When I heard this I was floored. It made sense to me. Every time I needlessly worry over something, it’s like I’m saying that He can’t take care of it for me, that I have to do it on my own.
Does this mean that I have stopped worrying? No, I still struggle with it. But it does mean how I view worry has changed. My perspective has changed. I no longer look at it as a huge problem any more. Every time I start to worry, I remember this illustration and I ask God to help me leave it in His hands.
I would like to leave you with this last thought: If you have given something over to God, let him be God and fix it! He is able to, He wants to! Yes you may have to wait, yes it may take some patience, but He will give you peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding!
Hugs,
Erin
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