God's Got This “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 4:6-7 So many questions. So much is unknown. So much is out of our control. How can anyone make plans if you don’t know what is coming next?
Anxiety creeps in whispering in our ears telling us what to worry about, to hesitate to act because we don’t know what’s around the corner. But here’s the thing, faith is trusting God above all things. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith relieves us of our anxiety telling us we don’t need all the answers. What we do need to do is take the next step that is before us. We don’t need to look down the road and know exactly where it leads and what it brings. The planning process is out of our hands ultimately. God has it already perfectly planned out in His perfect timing. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “God, Your Will be Done” we are not asking for specific things to happen. Luther teaches us in the Small Catechism that we are praying to be drawn into God’s plan and be aligned with His Will. We are praying to be changed to be in alignment with God. These days are filled with anxiety in various ways at various levels for each of us. We don’t know when this will “be over”. We don’t even know exactly what the new normal looks like. Jobs will change. Community will look different. But we do not need to be anxious, because God’s got this. Hope always prevails. Peace surrounds us when the anxiety tries to take over. If you feel overworked, stressed, scared, and/or anxious in this season of unknown, see Jesus sitting next to you. See Him lovingly looking at you, ready to share His peace with you. Listen to Him as He tells the next step, the lesson He wants to teach you for today. Know you are not alone. Faith is saying, “I don’t have all the answers, but God does, so I’m going to listen to Him.” Listen to Jesus. Learn at His feet as Mary did. Then follow the Woman at the Well’s example after meeting Jesus by going to your community saying, “Meet this man who told me everything I did” (check out the story in John 4). Share why you love Jesus with someone. Don’t be consumed with anxiety. Rest in Jesus’ arms. Give all your fears, worries, and questions to Him. Then listen. Hear Him whisper in your ear, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. Just watch.” ~Pastor Vicki Epper
1 Comment
Dave Dalbey
4/26/2020 09:56:00 am
Great words of encouragement for all of us no matter our station in life. It is so so easy to be consumed be anxiety and to let it rule the decisions we make, but our God who carries everything so easily in his hands has us covered.
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As we begin to navigate a more distanced society and find new ways to connect virtually, it is our hope as a staff that one way we can bless our community is through a Discover Church blog filled with encouragement and ways to reflect on His goodness and faithfulness as we all walk this path into the unknown. Categories
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