Week 10- March 3-9, 2024: Peace in Anxious Times

This week’s daily readings:

This week’s devotional:

Peace in Anxious Times

By Pastor Tammilynn Elerath

Scripture:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
— Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Reflection:

In November of 2003, we brought home twin baby girls, just seven months old. We picked them up from the shelter and they were frightened and overwhelmed with their new surroundings. They were either silently glaring at us or screaming! That night we held them in our arms and comforted and loved them. We played lullabies, sang to them, and soothed their worries. Finally, they fell asleep.

But every time they woke up, they would scream in fear and anxiety. We would pick them up and soothe their little anxious hearts. We loved and cuddled them. This went on for days. Eventually, we realized they were not screaming every time they woke up. Somehow, they knew they were loved; they knew they were cherished.

This is a memory that God comforts me with when I’m in the midst of hardship, and the Bible verses above are a part of that comfort. In particular, the last two sentences (verses 6 and 7) speak directly to our anxious hearts. We pray to God for relief and he answers us faithfully with an amazing peace that shields us from further worry.

Paul introduces the topic of anxiety at the beginning of the quote (verse 4) by commanding us to “Rejoice always!” He’s saying it should be the continual state of our hearts. Keep in mind that joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), meaning it is a gift bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit. We’re not expected to live joyfully in our own power and strength. We merely need to turn our eyes to the source of all joy! If we habitually start each day with our eyes focused on Christ, relying on the Holy Spirit, then when circumstances bring anxious thoughts, we’re already ahead of the game. Now we are prepared to deal with those anxious thoughts through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving.

Life itself is hard. It’s frightening and sometimes I just want to cry. But I know that I’m loved and cherished by God and with him I am not alone. Just as we adopted MattieBelle and Lucy, God has adopted me. He loves me and I can rejoice always in his love!

Prayer:

Loving Father, I thank you for the way you care for me and for your many gifts, including joy. Fill my heart with it and let me rejoice in you always! Remind me to start each day focused on your Son and relying on your Spirit. I pray that you will always be with me, bringing love, comfort, and peace when I am scared, and I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen

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