Be strong, fear not! Here is your God . . . he comes to save you

Be strong, fear not! Here is your God . . . he comes to save you. 

God will save his people.   That’s the reassurance that the prophet Isaiah offers in Scripture reading (Isaiah 35:4).   These words must have given the people of Jerusalem great hope as the advancing army of Assyria cast a shadow of fear over the land.

These words are no less reassuring for us. God will save his people—that includes you. So “be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4).

Almost everyone experiences anxiety at one point or another.   It is especially acute when we are faced with a difficult situation, and we don’t know what will happen next.   We may believe that God wants to give us his peace, but it still seems far off.   So how can we find that peace?

One way is to practice praying for peace.   Let’s say you are going about your day and an anxious thought comes into your mind.   Try to pinpoint the worry, and then talk to the Lord about it. Imagine yourself leaning against Jesus’ chest, as the apostle John did at the Last Supper.   Tell him what is making you unsettled.   Then tell him that you want to lay your anxieties at his feet and leave them there for him to deal with.

Even if prayer doesn’t bring immediate peace, it could untangle your thoughts enough to help you think of one step you could take toward solving the issue.   It could be as simple as setting a time to talk over your worries with a good friend.   Or it could be a complete step-by-step plan that the Holy Spirit puts in your mind.

For example, are you worried about one of your children?   Lean against the Lord and ask him to keep her safe.   Then try to think about one step that you can take to help her out.   Maybe you can write a little note assuring her of your love.   Maybe you see that you need to spend more time with her.   Maybe you just need to keep praying and trust that God will work in his own way and in his own time.   Whatever it is, do it, and watch what happens.

Anxiety is a very real part of life, but with the Lord’s help, we can take steps to put it to rest.

Word Among Us