Peace in Chaos

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. (Charles Spurgeon).

Concern is a normal part of life. There are things we should be concerned about. Our teenager is about to take the car out on his or her own for the first time. You may have confidence that they will not do anything foolish, but you also know that they lack experience in dealing with the unexpected things that may happen on the road. You are concerned. Your spouse, child, parent, etc. is in the military and is about to be deployed to a dangerous part of the world. You know that they are well trained. You know they will be on guard. You trust the people who surround them during their time over there, but. . . It is that but that causes you concern.

It is one matter to be concerned about situations that involve obvious and realistic dangers and unknowns. It is another matter to NEVER allow your teenager to drive on their own because of what “might happen.”

Over anxiety has a long list of health consequences.[1] In normal situations these consequences can actually help us as we deal with mild stress. It is those times when we allow the stress to take control that the harmful consequences begin to affect our lives.

Peace comes not from the passing of the event and the return of relative safety. True peace comes when we recognize that the one who holds the outcome of events in the palm of his hand holds our heart close to his own heart as well.

Pastor Craig

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[1] http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/how-worrying-affects-your-body

To the Anxious of Heart. . .

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.
(Isaiah 35:4)

Do you worry? Are you fearful for the future? Are you anxious about many things? Any things?

 There are a great many things about which a person can have anxiety or fear. The Documentary Channel broadcast a show called The End of the Road: How Money Became Worthless. The theme? The world banking system will collapse within 5 – 10 years and there is little you can do about it. I don’t know about you, but that causes me some anxiety.

The History Channel has broadcast a whole host of shows involving the end of the world. One of the shows discussed the different versions of the coming apocalypse based on different religions. The viewpoints range from total and instant obliteration to epic collapses involving much pain and suffering over extended periods of time. Each comes with numerous contemporary events and prophecies that support its own theory. Usually, it doesn’t matter which one you may choose to believe, the time is close, VERY close.

Isaiah has some words of comfort. God is coming! I think it is quite important to notice that Isaiah does not minimize the seriousness of one’s source of anxiety. While I do not believe in a coming zombie apocalypse that seems to make millions of dollars for authors and movie makers, I do believe in an end to our world. And, as most of us know, endings of such magnitude are seldom peaceful and calming events. But, Isaiah’s source of comfort is not based on discrediting the events or minimizing an individual’s concerns about those events. It is based on the One who will come to be with the anxious of heart through those events.

The verse says that God will come with vengeance. Many of the Biblical translations translate that to mean wrath poured out on the enemies of God’s kingdom and His people. That may be so, but it certainly means that God will come with passion as well. That passion is based on a care for you and me. Are you still anxious? Nervous? Fearful?

Take comfort, your God will come, come to deliver, come to save, come to restore, come to comfort your fears and anxieties.

 Pastor Craig