Anxiety? Or Love? When Grace Came Down, Part 22

by | Apr 2, 2020 | Dependency, When Grace Came Down, Worry

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 Heavenly 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

(To access the entire “When Grace Came Down” devotional series, please click here.)

Post

Anxiety? Or Love? When Grace Came Down, Part 22

Topics

Series

Archives