Have you ever heard any human saying: "I have
loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing
kindness"? (Jeremiah 31:3b NIV) The verse is even more poignant in the
Message Bible: "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love,
love, and more love!" (Jeremiah 31:3b MSG)
We can see in these texts just how much our
Heavenly Father loves us. He loves us. Period! And it is an "everlasting
love"! If you think God does not care of you, you are wrong: "The LORD is my
light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my
life--of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1 NIV)
We have absolutely nothing to fear. This is one of
the perfect gifts that Jesus came to this earth to give us. When grace came
down, it came to eliminate our fear, our worry and our anxiety. If you have
anxiety, it does NOT come from our Heavenly Father. The one who makes you
fearful is the evil one. Don't listen to Him! The evil one will only make
you worse and worse; however, our Father will heal us from any anxiety. This
is what our Heavenly say to you: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it
again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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 NIV)
We have to choose who we want to follow: The evil
one or our Heavemly Father. The evil one will try to destroy us, but Jesus
came to this planet to save us from the evil one and all of his traps. If
you have some anxieties, pray and meditate on the following Bible verses:
1. "Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I
will not be afraid because you are with me." (Psalm 23:4a ICB)
2. "And we know that God causes everything to work
together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his
purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT)
3. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray
about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ
Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
4. "Give all your worries to him, because he cares
for you." (1 Peter 5:7 ICB)
5. "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV)
I have lived my entire life with just one eye. As
a child, my other eye was "lazy", and if someone had taken me to an eye
doctor when I was young, I probably would have two good eyes today. But
alas, my poor parents didn't realize I didn't see well until it was too
late. Unfortunately, my other eye is also not that good; however, thanks to
the invention of thick glasses, I can at least see through that eye enough
to function.
And I have learned to function with my
limited vision. There are still some situations that challenge me, however.
I have trouble driving in the dark, for one thing. Also bad weather impedes
my vision for safe driving, and trying to maneuver my way on new pathways in
the dark is also very challenging. This can cause problems when we are
camping. Most campground bathrooms are not safe environments for thick
glasses, and when I take a shower, I have to leave those all-important
lenses in the trailer. If it is dark, or this is a new campground and the
bathroom is too far away, I have trouble finding the trailer again, and I
often find myself lost. Fortunately, my wife keeps an eye out for me! (And
she has two good ones!)
But as I think back over this, I realize that I
can also rely on my Heavenly Father to bring me back to my trailer without
getting lost. I don't need to be afraid because of my poor vision! All I
need to do is ask Him! Isn't it true, that, "Those who know your name trust
in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you" (Psalm 9:10
NIV)? Isn't this part of God's inexplicable grace?
Rob Chaffart