“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”
Isaiah 41:10
The boomerang is a rotating wing. It originated in Australia and dates back thousands of years. It was originally used for hunting, but now is also sport. There are even boomerang tournaments. A Guinness World Record was set in 2007 with a throw of 1,401.5 feet. I remember, as a child, playing with a friend’s boomerang. Needless to say I never mastered the art of throwing it.
Worry is like a boomerang. You can sling it as far as you can only to have it return in your life. I’m sure you have experienced the following scenario in your own life: We pray. We give our concern to God and feel better. However, like the boomerang, the nagging problem returns and we are ingulfed by a fog of worry.
How frustrating! You may be like me and have a specific problem you have turned over to God time and time again only to have it return like Australia’s flying boomerang. How can we rid ourselves of worry as we prepare our lives for the coming year? Is worry destined to return to us like the boomerang?
I think we just need to face the fact that it will do just that. Worry is not from God. The great deceiver, Satan, is the father of lies and he is also the father of worry. If he can keep a Christian cowering under a burden of worry he has won a battle. What we need to do is to train ourselves to deal with this problem and learn how to cope with it.
First of all, recognize the source, Satan. Then remember that you are a child of God and He is more powerful than Satan. I am comforted by this truth, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” 1 John 4:4.
Secondly, continue in prayer. If one session won’t get rid of your frustration, pray again. James 5:16 is a wonderful testimony for prayer. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Last, but not least, claim God’s Word and have several scriptures stored in your mind’s library under HELP! Bring them out and dust them off when you are beset with those nagging problems that steal your sleep, cause your blood pressure to rise and your heart to beat faster.
God’s Word gives us many scriptures to help us rid our thoughts and minds of worry. My favorite is Philippians 4:4, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I have ended many a night’s tossing and turning by quoting this promise of peace from our Father.
Want a good night’s sleep? Learn this verse and believe it. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for
You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.
Dear Father, We know worry will come. Give us skills to deal with it. We claim your promise of peace.
Janice Yandell
No comments:
Post a Comment