"Do Not Be Anxious..." But, How???Sample

Know That God Values Your Thoughts

You may have already heard the statistic that most of the fears we grapple with are unfounded because the possibility of them occurring is highly unlikely — studies show that about 97 percent of the things we worry about have no grounding in the reality that will eventually unfold.

Yet, without a doubt, we all face anxieties that are rooted in immutable facts. There’s the chilling medical report, there’s the broken relationship that has no potential to be mended, there’s the prodigal child who seems too far away to come home, there’s chronic disease wearing us down, there’s a pile of rejection letters competing with a pile of mounting bills…and the list goes on. Despite what the statistics say, it feels like our fears are completely logical and valid.

But here’s the awesome, soul-freeing truth: God knows every one of those facts — and He understands our worries about them. He doesn’t dismiss our anxieties as frivolous or inconsequential. In fact, His Word says that He perceives our thoughts from afar (Psalm 139: 2). If He didn’t value our thoughts, He wouldn’t pay such tender attention to them. If He didn’t care about our concerns, He wouldn’t incline His ear toward our cries. If He didn’t regard our emotions as important, He wouldn’t invite us to cast our anxieties on Him. His thoughts toward us outnumber the grains of sand, He is our ever-present Help in the midst of troubles, and He reminds us that we are more than conquerors through Him.

Over the next few days of this Bible Plan, we will delve into verses from Philippians 4 and find God-prescribed ways of dealing with our fears and anxieties.

Faith doesn’t mean an absence of fear. But it’s what we do with those fears that reveal our faith. Are we taking our fears to the Lord because we trust Him through all of life’s unknowns?

Reflect

What are some of the things that make me fearful and anxious right now? Which of those fears are rooted in reality, and which of them are my thoughts spiraling or my imagination running amok? Have I turned to God with those fears?

Respond

Father, I thank You that You know my thoughts from afar. I thank You that You never dismiss my real or imagined anxieties. Instead, You invite me to cast my cares on You. Lord, today, even as I spent some time identifying my worries, I also understand that I’m too weak to handle them on my own. So, Lord, I need Thee, O, I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee. Thank You for walking with me through dark valleys and uncertain paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen