Goodbye Worries!

Day one hundred sixty-four

It is a strange thing how we become so used to certain things, like having a husband sleeping next to you.  When he is there I sleep better, with a sense of peace and safety, and when he is called into work and I am alone in what seems like a ginormous bed, I just can't get to sleep.  I don't like that feeling of something is missing! As I laid there last night I thought about how the "missing something" feeling reminded me of the times in my life when I have felt like the Lord had forsaken me.  Lonely, dark times in my life.  I am thankful that there have not been many of these times. 

So my prayer this morning focused on my gratitude for the blessings that come from having the Lord in my life and for the fact that my husband returned safely to our home.  How grateful I am for the feelings of comfort and safety that come from the Spirit and for my desire to always have it with me.  I don't think I really asked for anything in my prayer, I just said thank you.

Joshua 3:9-13

Take a minute and look back at all the obstacles you have faced in your life.  Now choose the one that seemed to be the hardest to overcome and look for the Lord in the situation.  Was He there in the beginning?  Did He see you through to the end?  There are times in our lives when the Lord puts obstacles that we are not meant to cross alone.  He patiently waits for us to recognize these times and to call on Him for help.  His help wouldn't mean as much if we weren't prepared to see Him in the solution!

In Joshua 3:9-13 the message to the Israelites is that getting across the Jordan did not rest on their shoulders, but on the Lord's. They were to prepare, but it was His plan to get them over and it was His problem. In these verses, He makes them a promise and tells them that He will bring them through in a powerful fashion. God commits Himself to bringing his people across their Jordan. All that was required of Israel was that they trust God!

I believe the same is true for us too. If God could be trusted in those days to keep His promises, then He can still be trusted today! Often, we are unable to get past the obstacles in our lives because we live a life that exhibits a lack of faith in the promises of God! I know this from experience.  A lack of faith brings with it worry and doubt, something that marks the lives of many people, including myself.

I took a look at some of the worries people have and God's response to them.  Here is what I learned:

We worry about tomorrow - yet the Lord has said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." (Matt 6:34)

We worry about material things - yet the Lord has promised, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

We worry about facing various situation in our lives -  yet the Lord has promised, "... I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb 13:5)

We worry about so many other things - but the Lord tells us, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:4-7)

The bottom line is this: God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present. He knows what we are going through. He knows everything there is to know about it. He even knows more about it than we do!

What He says to us is that He is greater than any problem we have ever or will ever face in life. His desire is that we simply learn to take Him at His word and trust Him. We need to remember that what the Lord has promised to do, He will do (Rom. 4:21; D&C 82:10).

Through my study of these verses I have come to understand the proverb: "Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow."  Too often we create something that isn't even a problem or make it bigger than it really is. The Israelites faced a real problem, but God had provided them with a solution, they just needed to trust Him.  God does the same for us.  With this knowledge fresh in my mind I am choosing to say "Goodbye worries" and put more trust in the Lord.  He will keep His promises I just need to let Him!  So today my goal is to get out of the Lord's way so He can do His work and I can have fewer worries and enjoy the journey a little more.