Have you ever thought that a vacation would relieve your anxiety or that you could work out your worries at the gym? I know I have. But the truth is, no one can achieve total freedom from heartache, burdens, or trouble.
However, we can have peace during anxious times. Serenity is a gift from our heavenly Father—it can’t be manufactured. The Holy Spirit produces a sense of calm in believers who seek the Lord’s protection against anxiety. In the often-quoted passage of Philippians 4:6-7, the Greek word translated as “guard” means “to keep with a garrison.” God wraps our heart and mind in His peace, safeguarding both against all-consuming worry or fear. Notice that He doesn’t make all of our problems go away. So while we may still be under pressure or prone to weep, we are cushioned against anxiety and surrounded by calm instead.
Jesus said to seek peace in Him because He has overcome this troublesome world (John 16:33). Let’s shift our focus from our vexing problem to God and ask for His peace to surround us today. Remember, He’s the only one with limitless resources and power, and He wants to meet our needs (Psalm 50:10; Rom. 8:11).
When we’re in the midst of a difficult life event, our instinct is often to react quickly and change things. But God frequently asks us to wait.
Take a look at today’s passage. The word wait has a different sense here—it means “pause for further instructions.” It’s not passivity; rather, we must choose to stop our actions and listen for God’s directive. Sometimes the Lord is silent for a season, but He has a purpose. He knows the perfect time for us to act, and until that moment, He wants us to wait. More strength and character are required to be still in the midst of a storm than to frantically seek our own solution.
I can tell you that I sometimes wait impatiently, too. There have been times I’ve become nervous and questioned God or complained. But that’s not how Jesus wants us to react. The apostle Paul tells us plainly to “be anxious for nothing” and to pray to the Lord, who offers peace (Phil. 4:6-7). So we are to pause with patience, trusting in God’s wisdom, love, power, and timing.
The key to finding peace in the storm is in waiting for God alone. He hears our every prayer, and we can’t go wrong when we rely on Him. Pray for patience and listen for His reply.
God speaks to all of us, but how we respond depends on the condition of our heart. Upon hearing the Lord’s voice, some believers are motivated to pursue a deeper and more obedient relationship with their Father. Others, however, resist or refuse Him because their heart has become less responsive.
A change in receptiveness may be difficult to recognize because it happens slowly and is often rationalized or excused. How do you respond when the Holy Spirit speaks to you through Scripture or some other means? Carefully consider the following characteristics of a developing callousness:
- Insensitivity to what God says
- Resistance to His authority
- Disobedience to what the Lord is instructing you to do
- Justification of sinful conduct
- Rejection of reproof by others
- Preoccupation with worldly things
- Little interest in spiritual matters
- Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
- Avoidance of gathering to worship with other believers
If you’ve discovered any of the above traits in your life, it’s not too late. Ask the Lord to mold your heart (Isa. 64:8; Jer. 24:7). Remember, He specializes in making all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17) and delights in our turning to Him.
Sharing Our Faith
1 John 4:7-21
We live in a world where few people are looking for God. But anyone who doesn't have a relationship with the Savior will be under God's judgment for all eternity (Matt. 7:21-23). As Christ's ambassadors, we should be ready share the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:20). Here are five key words to help us communicate God's good news:
Need -People must first recognize that something is wrong between them and God (Rom. 3:10), and it's not something they can fix on their own.
Provision -God sent His Son Jesus to pay the debt we owe for our sins.
Cost -For you and me, salvation is free; it's a gift. But it was costly to God, who sacrificed His Son (Rom. 6:23).
Faith -There is only one way to salvation, and that is by trusting in Jesus (John 14:6).
Assurance- When we believe, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Through Him, we know that we are God's children and will spend eternity with Him.
Aren't you grateful that someone shared these truths with you and introduced you to Jesus? Let's do the same for our friends and loved ones who haven't yet discovered the joy of salvation.
Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares a parable about two men in a storm - one who built his house on a rock, and th eother who built on sand. The first man's house remained standing, while the other fell in the storm and winds.
Which one sounds like your life right now? It's not uncommon to go through season where we feel as if our life is poorly built, shifting on the sand. Our jobs, relationships, and living situations can change without warning.
In this parable, Jesus promises that regardless of what our day-to-day life may look like and no matter what we feel, the foundation will be sturdy as long as it’s built on Him. He is the rock that will hold our weight, our burdens, and our fears. Whatever insecurities we may feel, He will remain unshaken.Think About It
• It’s easy to focus on the interruptions we experience from day to day—those things that throw us off course and seem only to get in the way of life as it should be. What can you do in these moments to find strength and encouragement in God? When you feel anxious, imagine looking down at your feet and seeing that you are standing on a sturdy rock instead of sand.
