We Have Good Reasons to Be Anxious
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.
Psalm 94:19 NASB
Because there’s trouble in this world, we have good reasons to be anxious. In the midst of trouble our hearts forget God, and we get attached to other masters to all kinds of desires, needs, and beliefs. We get anxious for bad reasons, and we overreact even to the good reasons we have to be anxious. Living in a world where there is trouble, with hearts that quickly stray, means we will always be tempted to lose sight of God. When we lose sight of God, we try to control our world on our own, and become filled with worry.
But don’t despair: God, in his Word, gives you better and imperishable reasons for responding to the troubles of life in faith.
His comfort can and will delight your soul when you turn to him. You can learn to remember God instead of forgetting him. God wants us to know him so intimately and trust him so completely that our desire to fix our troubles in our own way will no longer consume us. As we grow in our love for God, we will experience the right kind of concern in the midst of our troubles.
[January 15th entry from Take Heart, by David Powlison]
If you struggle with anxiety, work through the bestselling 31-day devotional: Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace.
