Fear and Anxiety
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” Proverbs 3.24-26
There are times that sleep escapes us. While we toss and turn we wonder what it is that may be wrong. I’ve often thought that there are times when God keeps us awake in order for us to pray for someone in trouble. There are also some times when we have honest concerns that rob us of our sleep. It maybe that we have an upcoming appointment that we’d rather avoid – or, maybe we are concerned about the well-being of a loved one who may be facing some dangerous situations.
In a note of encouragement from a friend (prior to my most recent surgery), he offered to me a promise from God: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4.6) As a wordsmith, my friend said that he looked in several places for synonyms for the word, “careful.” “Careful” translates the Greek word “merimnáō” indicating something of a “touchy situation.” It refers to things for which we take special care – things causing anxiety. In Philippians 4.6, it is used in the absolute sense and is coupled with the absolute adjective, “mēdeís,” indicating not even once. In other words, the Apostle Paul commands us never to allow anxiety to overtake us but to approach every situation in life as something for which we can, by prayer and thanksgiving, offer the glory and praise to our Sovereign God and Savior.
In our heads we know all of that is true; however, when faced with these various, seemingly negative situations, we sometimes consider Paul’s imperative to be a bit insensitive. Our frame of mind is often controlled by our recognition of the presence of God and His plan for our lives.
Have you ever noticed how the anticipation of future events often causes more angst than the reality of what actually occurs? In other words, those things about which we worry causes us more frets and worries before we get there than when we have arrived. The expectation robs us of sleep and then our apprehension is exasperated by our fatigue.
The Psalmist writes: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalm 56.3) The confidence we try to muster in the face of trials fails miserably; however, when our confidence is based squarely on the faithfulness of the LORD we can leave our burden with Him; He will bring about the proper result. Resting in His promise, our sleep will be sweet as we recognize His sovereign care over us.
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” (Proverbs 3.24-26)
There are times that sleep escapes us. While we toss and turn we wonder what it is that may be wrong. I’ve often thought that there are times when God keeps us awake in order for us to pray for someone in trouble. There are also some times when we have honest concerns that rob us of our sleep. It maybe that we have an upcoming appointment that we’d rather avoid – or, maybe we are concerned about the well-being of a loved one who may be facing some dangerous situations.
In a note of encouragement from a friend (prior to my most recent surgery), he offered to me a promise from God: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4.6) As a wordsmith, my friend said that he looked in several places for synonyms for the word, “careful.” “Careful” translates the Greek word “merimnáō” indicating something of a “touchy situation.” It refers to things for which we take special care – things causing anxiety. In Philippians 4.6, it is used in the absolute sense and is coupled with the absolute adjective, “mēdeís,” indicating not even once. In other words, the Apostle Paul commands us never to allow anxiety to overtake us but to approach every situation in life as something for which we can, by prayer and thanksgiving, offer the glory and praise to our Sovereign God and Savior.
In our heads we know all of that is true; however, when faced with these various, seemingly negative situations, we sometimes consider Paul’s imperative to be a bit insensitive. Our frame of mind is often controlled by our recognition of the presence of God and His plan for our lives.
Have you ever noticed how the anticipation of future events often causes more angst than the reality of what actually occurs? In other words, those things about which we worry causes us more frets and worries before we get there than when we have arrived. The expectation robs us of sleep and then our apprehension is exasperated by our fatigue.
The Psalmist writes: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalm 56.3) The confidence we try to muster in the face of trials fails miserably; however, when our confidence is based squarely on the faithfulness of the LORD we can leave our burden with Him; He will bring about the proper result. Resting in His promise, our sleep will be sweet as we recognize His sovereign care over us.
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” (Proverbs 3.24-26)
On a personal note again – I was released from the hospital last evening. Thank you for your prayers and notes of encouragement. I am able to walk without help but with a bit of pain. I had opportunity to share the Gospel with sever of the professionals at MUSC. One lady in particular was a seeker to whom I presented the Gospel and she was very responsive. I’ll not post her name, but please pray that God will send someone into the harvest to reach her.
So often we miss opportunities because we are so wrapped up in our own pain; however, God has never made a mistake and He will use those who are will and put in places (sometimes places that are painful) where we can reach those in need. May God bless each of you.
So often we miss opportunities because we are so wrapped up in our own pain; however, God has never made a mistake and He will use those who are will and put in places (sometimes places that are painful) where we can reach those in need. May God bless each of you.
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