Silent Killers

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10.

This is not just a promise to Old Testament Israel, but to all of God's people. Remember that Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and that He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). His heart is the same for you today as it was when He first spoke those words. I was struck by that thought this morning as I was browsing through my Bible (I was looking for another verse nearby and stumbled upon this one highlighted). I have been struggling to stay faithful the past few weeks - yes, I am getting a tad personal, don't let it go to your head. I have had to take money out of our dwindling savings account and it "looks" like the job situation will never turn out. Thankfully, I have a wise (and growing wiser) wife, who I am not sucking up to in this moment, who snaps some sense into me. Then she goes and tells me to re-read everything I have been telling all of you nice people (a big thank you to all the folks in Denmark who read this thing). God is screaming to all who will listen "I will take care of you!"

Notice the commands in this verse. God is not making suggestions or giving us a nice encouraging word. He is instructing us to stop worrying about our lives. To allow fear and anxiety to remain in and effect your life is to disobey the word of God - something we in the biz call sin. Do not let this get confused with concern. We cannot live flippant lives in this world. You have to pay attention to things in life. You have to work where God has placed you. You have to pay your bills, watch after your children, and do all the other tasks in life. But to worry, fret or fear - that is something entirely different. The Bible is full of commands against worry, anxiety, doubts and fear. They are silent killers. They cultivate stress, which was never meant to enter your body. It will wear you down and take you out if it is allowed to remain. You body was never designed to handle it.

Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to lean on God's wisdom and understanding of a situation, rather than our own. Our way created the problem - which I have pointed out many times before. The world's ways of doing things quit simply don't work. So why bring them into our lives and our churches? It may seem right to us on the outside, but the Bible says the end is the way of death (Proverbs). That is what we are seeing all over the world - even within the realm of Christianity. Our ways make the problem. His way fixes it. It is His wisdom that is needed - and He freely gives to those who ask and believe they receive it when they ask (James 1:5-8). Jesus said that we are to take no thought for our lives, but to focus primarily on Kingdom-advancement. That looks different for each and everyone of us. So take the time to sit quietly before the Lord and find out what that looks like in your life. Jesus said He would take care of the rest. He may give you a plan, He may just do it Himself. It is your job to find out which it is. Do not try to go fix a problem without His specific instructions on how to do so. Do not worry about tomorrow and the problems you see on the horizon - because God told you not to. Easier said then done? At first, but the more time you spend doing it the easier it will become. God cannot deviate from His Word, so take this passage to heart. we all have something that we need God's intervention in. He promised to take care of it for us, and that, for the household of faith, everything will be alright. I have no doubt that my wife will print this and make me read it everyday.