When you’re anxious

Renata Martinez

Christian Surfers El Salvador

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God”.

Throughout a long, difficult year, the one Psalm that has been the most on my heart has been Psalm 46.

Too many of our worries and anxieties stem from the deep root of thinking that we must fix everything; that it is our duty to appease whatever chaos there is in our life.

But life is not like that.

Through the Psalmist, God is rebuking our restlessness, our impatience, because there are some things (all of them, actually) – like this global COVID-19 pandemic – that we simply cannot control.

The Lord is telling us to stop toiling and trying to control things that are beyond us! We cannot change the tides, the wind, or the waves. Only Jesus can do that.

We do not know what will happen. You and I do not know how to fix a global pandemic.

However, we know something deeper, something solid as a rock: We know God! "Knowing" God means acknowledging and admitting that He is truly God above all things.

There is something deeper than the chaos and fear that rages in our world: we know Him. There will be difficult times; we can be sure of this. We live in a fallen and sinful world. We are now in the middle of a difficult test.

However, God has not left us alone. He is speaking deeply to us in Psalm 46. And His Word reminds us of what is real and true. 

• Take some time to reflect on your experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Have you been caught up in worrying about things that are out of your control, trying to take responsibility or “fix” things? 
• How can you start to put aside your worry and instead recognize God’s sovereignty? Ask Him to help you trust in Him for wisdom and peace even in the face of out-of-control world events.