Journey into Lightl

My doctor said to me recently, “It is growing, and we will need to operate soon.” I felt disappointed and scared. I had hoped that my abdominal aneurism would remain small and never need to be operated upon. But no. Circumstances ruled otherwise. Another instance when circumstances failed to give me the peace of mind I had longed for.

So, how do we deal with our anxiety when circumstances fail to meet our need to feel safe?

Living a restful, peaceful life seems to be a goal worth having. But how do we pull it off? Life is scary, confusing and often hard. Dealing with all the problems often makes us feel tense and stressed out. Even with God’s help life can be tough.

The Bible says we can rest because God offers us his help in carrying the heavy load of the challenges we go through. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29, 30, NAS). We can choose to lean on him for the energy and wisdom to address the many problems we have as we do our part.

He also tells us that resting in good circumstances is impossible. They are seldom good enough to allow us to relax. There are problems coming at us constantly. But he says, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NAS). This means that he will provide the additional resources we need to overcome our daily challenges as we rest in him.

But we often lose focus on the truth of his control over our challenges and believe lies. These could be “I can’t do this” when we can with God’s help, or “I can’t rely on God coming through for me” when we can because he is faithful.

Where do these lies come from?

Some of them come from the lies that we have lived by all our lives, and we never have challenged or overcame them. Lies like “If something bad could happen, it will”. Or “I can’t do it because I’m not good enough for God to help me.” Other lies come from the people around us that give us daily messages that are false, such as pleasures are the way to happiness or impressing people is how to be important. Finally, our enemy, Satan, is quietly working through our thoughts and circumstances to lure us into sin.

But we find peace of mind when we turn to God’s truth and rely on it. He promises, “But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm” (Proverbs 1:33, NLT). And there is a lot to listen to as he talks to us throughout the day through a variety of ways. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go” (Psalm 32:8, NAS). But will we listen to him?

Often, we don’t want to listen to God. We want to be in charge and make things happen so we can feel important and self-sufficient.

As I face this medical procedure next month, I feel peace. Although the operation is reasonably safe, it is delicate. My wife and I have confidence in the surgeon. However, my security is in listening to God’s promise that he is in control and guiding the surgeon in properly stenting the artery. Only trusting this truth comforts and quiets my fears to the point of experiencing peace. May I and all of us learn to look to God as our place of safety instead of relying on undependable circumstances. “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety” (Psalm 91:2, NLT).

Questions:

What is an issue you are facing where you need to rely on God’s care?

What are you going to do to face this challenge and experience God’s peace?