If you struggle with anxiety, there’s hope. God wants to give you his inner calm and guard your heart and mind against more worry.
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Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace - Whether you experience nagging worry or debilitating panic, God’s Word offers hope and help. In this 31-day devotional, pastor and biblical counselor Paul Tautges delves deeply, but gently, into the heart of fear and unbelief, using daily readings, reflection questions, and practical application to fuel the faith that strengthens inner security and peace.
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Often the shortest commands in the Bible are the most powerful.
And I would add, the most practical. Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and this week I’m focusing on what God has to say about our anxieties. You know what it feels like. Your mind, your heart is scrambled with thoughts; you can’t focus; you’re distracted, life feels fretful and out of control. And I know you’ve been there, right? Maybe as recently as the Covid pandemic. And even now, many of us feel anxious about our dismal culture and its impact on our schools, and where we work. But the Bible contains a brief two-fold command that speaks directly to those anxieties. Philippians 4 puts it simply. And this is so good. It says, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” In other words, worry about nothing and pray about everything. And then Philippians says, “Do this and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Man, I love that last part, and I’ve experienced the peace of Christ so many times – with lung infections, shortness of breath, pressure sores, finding adequate help just to get up in the morning or be helped in bed at night. All of it could be overwhelming; I could be filled with anxiety and fear of the future. But over the years I’ve learned to worry about nothing and pray about everything. Not that I’m an expert; because I still struggle. But when I really pray about all these problems, it’s like God commands my anxious thoughts to quit harassing me.
Well, my friend Paul Tautges, my friend who is a biblical counselor, describes God’s inner peace in a wonderful way. He describes it an indescribable calm; it really does surpass all understanding. It is a peace that feels like an anchor in your soul. No one but Jesus can furnish that wave, that flood of inner serenity that leaves no room for fear. And it’s powerful, this peace. Jesus says in John 14, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives… so, let not your hearts be troubled.”
Also, this peace of God actually guards you emotionally and mentally. It actually says that the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And that word guard is a military word, and when we pray, God dispatches a defense force of armed warrior-angels to surround your innermost being, protecting you from anxiety. It’s like Isaiah says, the Lord will keep him [did you hear that?], he will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him. Finally, this peace belongs to believers only. The hearts and the minds that are guarded are those who are in Christ Jesus.
So, friend, if you struggle with anxiety, there’s hope. There are answers. God wants to give you his inner calm. He wants to guard your heart and mind against more worry. So, please I want to offer you a 31-day devotional called, “Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace.” And you can order your free copy at joniradio.org and commit to a 31-day journey that’ll move you forward out of your fear and anxiety. Again, get your free copy at joniradio.org. And remember, being at peace with God leads to experiencing the peace of God. For Jesus says that although you’ll have trouble in this world, he has overcome it all.
© Joni and Friends