I really don’t like being anxious. It just doesn’t make for a happy writer. It’s hard to focus when I’m anxious. My mind wants to wander off to things I perceive as being beyond my abilities. I begin to look further into the future, thinking I have to accomplish it all today.
But God didn’t intend for me to live and operate in the future. I can’t operate in the future any more than I can make my wife go hunting with me. For those who don’t know, she’s not an outdoors gal. So the odds of her hunting with me are nil at best. In fact, my odds are better operating in the future! I have to operate in what He has given me today. As I was sleeping last night, He had already prepared today. He already renewed in me everything I need (See Lamentations 3:22-23).
So why the anxiety?
Peter, when walking on the water, took his eyes off Jesus. And I’m sure he developed a quick anxiety as he sank and cried out to Jesus to save him. He needed to direct his eyes back to the One that enabled him to water walk in the first place.
So did I.
And I had some help this morning to re-direct my eyes to the One that enables me to accomplish what today has in store and not become anxious about tomorrow. My help came in the form of a text message and a phone call. They both led me to Jesus. Yes, even Christians need to be led to Jesus. Not in an evangelistic way but as a reminder of where our eyes must constantly be looking. An encouraging text message or phone call is sometimes all that’s needed! That was the case for me!
Psalm 94:19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
I want to point something out. The word anxious in Hebrew is sarappim and translated means disquieting thoughts. Look at the first word in that definition – disquieting. The prefix dis refers to a Latin prefix meaning away or apart from. So disquieting can be interpreted as being away or apart from quiet thoughts. Most times, when you are anxious – your thoughts are anything but quiet. But distracting daily is the noise of life. It’s like an enveloping fog that keeps you from reaching your destination.
God provided consolation for my soul and cleared the fog through a text message and a phone call! Sometimes that’s all that’s needed. Sometimes that’s all you need to do. Do you ever find your thoughts hovering around a person, and you can’t explain why? Yea! Me too! Maybe, just maybe, that person could use a text message or a phone call. We have these amazing tools to use for all sorts of things – why not use them for kingdom work?
You are loved!
