“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
Matthew 6:27 NLT
Everything seemed so bright. We had a wonderful life, complete with happy kids, good salaries, and a hopeful future. But with one crisis after another, that life faded away, leaving behind a pile of debt, unemployment, arguments, and so much anxiety.
What happened to my life, God? Did we do something wrong? Tell me what kind of magic-button prayer will get us out of this mess!
I cried every day. I begged God to rescue us from the land of uncertainty and give us back our old life. I coped with the only strategy I knew: worrying. I thought I could protect myself from more pain if I imagined all the worst-case scenarios in advance: What if we can’t pay this month’s bills or the medical test? What if we need a new transmission? What if our life never gets better? However, obsessing over my “what if” worries didn’t make me feel better. Instead, I felt worse!
Maybe you’re like me, faced with an uncertain season of life and stuck in the middle of hardship or heartache. Jesus understands. Jesus knew one day His closest friends would be fearful of the future and worries would overwhelm their hearts and minds. So, before His death, He made this promise: “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 NLT).
The peace Jesus gives provides supernatural calm in the midst of chaos and hardship. It’s the kind of peace we absolutely need when we’re not sure what will happen next.
It took a few years of stressed-out days and sleepless nights for me to learn to surrender my worrying ways in favor of Jesus’s peace. Though our difficult season continued, God was faithful to remind me of His promised peace.
We can rest assured that God’s promise doesn’t have an expiration date. It never runs empty. And when our “what if” worries try to steal our calm, we are only a prayer away from unshakable faith and receiving shalom from the Prince of Peace.
Dearest Barb……I think I just read this story in my 100 Days of Strength in any Struggle. I am going through that book for the 2nd time. The first time was a year and 8 months ago. It is amazing how the stories in that book have helped me, and looking at what I wrote in the journal is different the second time around. Barb, I found that writing things down really helps to calm my soul. I have many serious problems that I am dealing with. With the help of God through my Holy Spirit, this week I have resolved 2 of them, but the deepest problem still stands out there now approaching 7 years. When these types of heartbreaking problems rain down on you and keep happening, I find it very hard to know what to do. I have prayed frequently, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day and have humbly asked Jesus if He could help me. These situations involve an ungrateful son and his wife, my sister and my now ex husband. It is a long story and you may have seen one of my comments regarding this. My son and his wife have gone so far as to stalk me and found the (in)courage site and thought I might belong to this site. he has told me that they have made copies of all my comments and that I have mentioned names and that is not legal. Barb….I never mention anyone’s name per se, so I know this is just 1 more thing that is a lie. I have told the police about this and they have told me that what they are doing is a crime of harassment and stalking. I have done what you said in your story and asked God, Have I done something wrong? I love your message: “The peace Jesus gives provides supernatural calm in the midst of chaos and hardship.” WOW, this is just what I needed to be reminded of today on the weekend. I cry for even just one or two days of peace to see how it feels. I find myself always on edge. So, I am trying to stop thinking about the “what ifs” and concentrate on each day as it comes. Thank you Barb. Your words, I shall save and read whenever I feel really overwhelmed. It is too long to explain how these things have happened, but it has left me with no family and nobody to help me. I am 78 years old and while my mind is just as sharp as when I was 35, but my body is like a person of my age would be. To have a son who has dismissed me as his Mother and I look at the residents here who have friends, relatives come in with food, take their wash and do it in their homes and bring it back to the facility where we live, breaks my spirit at times. All my friends that live here ask me why nobody ever comes here to visit or help me. I can’t tell them as I know I will start crying and I don’t want to do that. I send my love and wish you Blessings in this New Year, with the world in an upside down place. Please enjoy your weekend………………Betsy Basile
Thank you, Barb! Our country right now feels very unstable and divided. Surely Christ offers His peace in times like these. We just need to ask and receive.
Personally, I have experienced lots of times in my life, when I’ve wasted my time worrying and things turned out better than fine! Faith, hope, trust. Must focus on these! Focus on The One who takes care of all our needs.
Barb thank you for all you said in writing of today devotional. The title of your devotional bring to me the words of the first few verse of Psalm 23. It mainly used at funerals. But I think it can be used anytime. It “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still water. He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness For his name’s sake.” Thoes verses say it all that God is with us in tough times we go through and is that prescious gift of his love helping us through the difficult time or times we are going through. Even if we feel lost or on our own like sheep on it’s own or lost Jesus comes along side us and rescue us and he is the Shepherd that let’s us know it is going to be ok we nothing to worry about how true that is. Like a precious gift we don’t want it to get broke that we can’t put it back together. Jesus cares for us that much he doesn’t want us to get broken with all that is going on in our lives that we feel we can will not get the broken piece of what’s going on back together to make them new and whole again like they once were at one time. If we go to Jesus in prayer he helps us by telling us what to do through his Holy Spirit to make the broken pieces whole again in our lives that were broken. Into the beautiful vessel we are and have been all along. Then we can look back through time and say yes Jesus was there helping get through this all thd time and telling me what to do. At the time you may not see it and may have to wait for the answers you may not get them right away or as quickly as you’d like. But in the end with a smile on your face you will be saying Jesus was there helping all the time. But you have to stay strong and keep praying and standing on the promises of his word. In times like this I had to do that. Yes I will admit I had to that in my touch times. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland
Barb,
Thank you for faithfully writing all these years. We met years ago at Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City.
I just finished your Abingdon Bible study: Surrender! I’ve watched your first video! (I could use a remote control-TV clicker like the one your describe!)
Thank you for faithfully sharing God’s Word all these years. I’m sharing your post now!
Sending you New Year Joy,
Lisa Wilt
Excellent reminder Barb!
Thank you for this
Barb,
It is easy-especially for women-to worry about trials & hard times. We want to fix everything now! Luke 18:1 says “Jesus told a parable that we should always pray & not lose heart”. 1 Thessalonians 5:17—Pray without ceasing. God is telling us to pray about everything always. He will take care of us no matter how bad the situation is. Prayer develops peace. Philippians 4:6—Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Blessing 🙂