God is still on the throne, no matter what the report is or who it is coming from. He has not abdicated and He never will. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end and he knows the beginning from the end. Do you trust Him? Do you believe that He is always with you and He will never leave or forsake you?
Proverbs 3:5-7 New International Version (NIV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
For many years satan tried to bind me up with fear and anxiety. I am so thankful to have grown up with a mother who taught me that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound, well-balanced mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 has stuck with me throughout my life and gotten me through every fearful situation.
We have to choose to speak daily “I trust You God, with my whole heart and my whole life.” It is not God’s will, purpose or plan for us to live in fear and anxiety all the time.
So many times God has spoken to my spirit and told me to be still and know that He is God. Often I have laid my problems and worries down at the foot of the cross only to take them right back up again. I have to choose to speak again, I trust You Lord, with my whole heart and I will not lean on my own understanding, because I know that my finite mind cannot begin to comprehend my infinite God.
1 Peter 5:6-7 New International Version (NIV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
God is faithful to perform His word, although we sometimes have to humble ourselves and get out of His way so that He can. So often we waste so much time trying to fix a situation that is not in our power or authority to fix. It must be released into God’s hands and left there in order for Him to accomplish what He wants to accomplish rather than what we want to see accomplished. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts and His timing is definitely not our timing.
Philippians 4:6-8 New International Version (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The Bible clearly tells us what we should keep our thoughts fixed and focused on, those things that are true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy. We need to be thinking about things that build us up, not tear us down. We need to focus on all of the great things God has done for us. In other words we need to focus on the positive, not the negative. Stop thinking about what you don’t have and start thinking about what you do have. Stop thinking about what’s wrong with you and start thinking about what is right with you. Stop thinking about how big your problem is and start thinking about how big your God is! We need to press onward, not looking back, keeping our eyes fixed and focused on Jesus.
Philippians 3:10-14 The Message (MSG)
10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
We need to be off and running pressing on toward the goal! God has great plans for us according to
Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
And in
Proverbs 23:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
The last passage I’d like to share from the message version of the Bible is
Isaiah 43:19-21 The Message (MSG)
16-21 This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can’t get up;
they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
—the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
the people I made especially for myself,
a people custom-made to praise me.
I feel like God is about to do something brand new like none of us have ever seen before and we need to be alert and be vigilant and be ready leaving old things behind us and focusing on what’s ahead. Life as we once knew it is gone and we’re about to embark on something new. A new way of living and being and doing. And maybe, just maybe that’s what the last few months have been preparing us for, the new thing that God wants to do. He knows your heart and your thoughts and He’s familiar with all of your ways. Let’s practice thinking on those things that are good, true, noble, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy.
Holy Father thank you that you are about to do a new thing in our lives and it is going to be fantastic because your plan is to do us good and not harm, to give us hope and a future. Thank you that surely there is a future and our hope will not be cut off.Help us to look forward and not back to the new thing that you want to do.Help us to humble ourselves and put our faith, hope and trust in You to work all things together for our good. Thank you for your peace that passes all natural reasoning and understanding. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.