The other morning, I was on my way to work before 7am, and I was complaining in my head and to the Lord. I don’t even remember what I was complaining about, but it must have been pretty important because I was quite wrapped up in it. (You may be able to relate…you get an idea stuck in your head, it goes round and round, and then gets bigger and bigger). I happened to look up into my side mirror and saw the most beautiful sunrise, bright, golden light streaming out from behind lines of dark clouds gracefully and artfully draped across the morning sky. It was so lovely it caught my breath and immediately turned my heart and thoughts to praising God… which is where they should have been all along! God, in His majesty and grace, provided me with what I needed to turn it around from a moment of complaint to a moment of praise.

At that moment, my place of praise was in my car. On Sunday mornings, my place of praise is in the church sanctuary with the worship team and other worshippers. Sometimes my place of worship is in my office space.

God tells us in Isaiah 66:1-2a:

Thus says the Lord,

“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
² “For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.

When I stop to think about it, it does seem pretty arrogant of us humans to think we could build a space good enough for the Almighty God, large enough to contain Him, beautiful enough to do Him honor. The sunrise took my breath away, but of all the lovely structures that talented architects and master builders have created and I have had the privilege of visiting, none have taken my breath away.

In the Old Testament, God gave His people clear and precise instructions on how to build the tabernacle and the temple, He handpicked those who would receive the instructions, and carry them out; He ensured that every person who wanted to be involved could be, either by providing money or goods, or by doing the work. Eventually, man stopped following God’s instructions on what to build, and started designing houses of worship himself. There are many beautiful churches throughout the world that people have poured their heart, soul, love and faith into, and they are well worth visiting. But after Christ came, and we received salvation through Him, a different standard was introduced.  

1 Corinthians 3:16-17: Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

We became the temples of God. It is the Almighty Himself who has made these temples; they are not formed by human hands as the temples of stone and gold were, or the more modern churches. The temples in the Old Testament that were revealed by God were perfectly designed, and so are we. God makes no mistakes.  In Psalm 139, the psalmist, King David, acknowledges and praises God as the ultimate creator and designer.

¹⁴I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Even in the Old Testament, God preferred a heart that was humble and tender towards Him than anything man could make, with or without God’s instructions. In Isaiah 66:2b the verse we started above is finished thus:

“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

It is in this perishable temple, made by Almighty God, carrying a humble and tender heart towards God, filled with His Holy Spirit, that we always find a place of praise. We do not have to go to a building to praise God; He is always with us and in us. The perfect place of worship is in this earthly body made beautiful and holy by Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, when he died, was resurrected, ascended to the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Right where you are is holy, because you are holy when you give your heart and life to Jesus Christ. Sit and stay a while, rest at His feet and in His wonderful light, love and praise Him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. You, dear one, are the temple of the Most High God!

On this Christmas Day, I pray that you know and accept that Jesus came for YOU, because He loves you.

I have often heard people talking about their love languages, a term first used by Gary Chapman in 1992 in his work with couples. We are unique individuals and the concept of love languages can be a useful way to communicate emotional needs and actions in a relationship. Praise is how we let God know what we think of Him, and how we feel about Him. Perhaps we could ask: “What’s your praise language?”  

God is pretty clear what He wants from us: our heart, our love, our adoration, devotion, obedience and commitment. He wants all of us, wholeheartedly and without hesitation, freely and completely. Everything else we do must flow from this place of love for Him. That’s the heart of praise, a deep love for God, based on who He is, and not only on what He can do for us.

The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines praise as: “1: to express a favorable judgment of: commend 2: to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections”

So how do we express this favorable judgment or glorify? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Is there only one way? Sometimes we get ourselves all tied up in knots trying to do it the “right way” and end up not praising at all. Sometimes “churched” people can scare new followers of Christ away from praise because churched people “know” how to do it right. This is so far from the truth! O sure, there are lovely songs and words spoken that may inspire others, which is a wonderful gift to have. But those lovely songs or words are not necessary.  My mouth may move in worship, repeating words while my heart is cold and empty. That’s not praise.

Praise may look like a song, a chant, a dance, a poem, a spoken word, a piece of art. It may have words that inspire others, or it may have simple words that carry great personal meaning. It may have vibrant colors that reflect the beauty of creation, or an abstract swirl of light and dark. It may involve raised hands or a bowed head, graceful swirling fabric or a prostrate form. What’s your praise language?

Praise should not involve any words or actions that are contrary to the Word of God. It should never glorify us or pull attention away from Him. Praise should not come from a place of “have to” but a place of “want to”. Even when we are commanded to praise Him, as in Psalm 150, it must still come from a place of deep gratitude to and love for our Lord.

 “¹Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
²Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.” Psalm 150:1-2

Praise lets God know our heart for Him, lets the world know about our glorious God, and brings Him closer to us. Psalm 22:3 tells us that God is “enthroned” in or “inhabits” the praises of His people: “Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” The simple act of praise has the ability to draw us closer to God and Him closer to us. That is a beautiful place to be!

What is your praise language? What ever it is, don’t be afraid to let it out boldly so your Lord knows how you feel about Him, and you can draw closer to Him. When you are resting at the feet of the Light of the world, look up and see who He is. As you sit in His marvelous light and take in His glory and majesty, I hope that you cannot stop yourself from bursting out in your praise language. He is worthy of every single piece of your praise!

The United States Census Bureau estimates that in the 2020 census there were 7,900,000,000 people living in the world; in North and South America combined, there were 1,022,841,000 people; in North America, there were 592,072,000 people; there were 331,449,000 people living in the USA; Wyoming had the smallest censes at about 576,850, and California the largest at about 39,538,200. You may live in a town where there are 500,00 or 5,00 people, a street that has one house or 100 houses, and in a home by yourself or with ten people. Out of those 7,900,000,000 people in the world, God knows YOU by name. O, sure, He knows everyone else too, but He knows YOU. If anyone were to ask God where you were at this particular moment in time, I am absolutely sure that God could answer that question correctly. He could also tell what you are doing, what you are wearing, who you are with, and everything else about you!

Before we look at a few Scriptures, I have to establish that God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (all present). As a Christian, I believe and know that about my God. He is the God of the universe, who spoke everything into being, looked at it and said that it was very good (see Genesis 1:1-2:3). The amazing thing is that He did this knowing the choices that man would make, the divide that would come between God and man, and the plan that He had to bridge the divide – His Son, Jesus Christ. A logical question would be: why would God do all that if He knew the outcome? God wants you as a child not because you are forced into it, but because you want Him as a Father, through Jesus Christ as your Savior. He wants your love, devotion and obedience out of free will and not from being forced.

Let’s look at some verses that tell us we have been known and loved forever.

Ephesians 1:3-6 “³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” 

Verses 4 and 5 tell us that even before God created the world, He had already chosen us to be His sons, because of His great love for us. John 3:16 is one of the most quoted and best known verses in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  God the Father’s plan to make you his son or daughter was to sacrifice His Son for you. If you are a parent, that should catch your heart. I have two daughters: thank goodness I do not have to decide to give one up for the other! How do you make that choice? But God did: He asked Jesus to do what only He could do. God waited for the right time, thousands of years after the creation of the world, to put His plan into motion (the next time you are feeling impatient, think about that!) And throughout His wait, He knew each one of our names, and knew we would be His sons and daughters.

Perhaps the most beautiful expression of God’s love for and knowledge of us is found in Psalm 139. Following are some verses, but when you have a chance, read the whole thing. It’s a good read!

¹O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
³ You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
⁵ You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Psalm 139:1-6

It takes some effort to know someone really well, to focus your attention on them, and to get to the point that you know what they are going to say before they say it. If you have such an intimate relationship with someone, you are truly blessed. That is the relationship that God has with us. God has a standard for relationship: He wants our hearts, our adoration and our obedience, but what we get from Him is infinitely greater than what we can give Him, both now and into eternity. The psalmist goes on to say that he is surrounded by his God in all directions. The enormity of the presence and the knowledge of God is too much for the psalmist, who is in awe.

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence? Psalm 139:7

For some, a relationship as deep and intimate as described here is frightening, and they want to run from it. In that intimate relationship with God, there is nowhere to flee from His presence (He is everywhere!), and why would you want to? God tells us that “perfect love casts our fear [dread or terror], because fear involves punishment [torment]” (1 John 4:18). The love that God has for us is a perfect love, so it cannot involve fear when we allow it into our hearts and lives. The love that we have in us from the Father is His perfect love. And drives out any fear we may be hiding. Fear and love cannot co-exist. Fear drives us away; love draws us in.

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
¹⁶ Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:13-16

God’s intimate knowledge of you started before you were born: He made every piece of you from the inside out, the outside in, and everything in between: your physical body, your mind and your personality. He lovingly wove you together in your mother’s womb; when everyone else was waiting for you to be born, to see you and know you, Father was already seeing, knowing and loving you. He already knew the course your life would take, and each day of your life, although you had not breathed a single breath yet. There is truly nothing hidden from Him.

¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:17-18

The Father’s thoughts about you are not just empty wanderings: they have value, and they are countless. He thinks about you all the time, knows where you are and what you are doing. You are so precious in His eyes! He knows when you lie down to sleep, watches over you while you sleep, and when you wake up you are still with Him. It’s as if God has wrapped you up in the warm, comforting blanket of His presence and His love. Don’t be too quick to discard that blanket. Stay there, enjoy this awesome love that has been given to you. Let it seep into every part of your body and your awareness. Rest in it. The Father loves you so much that He sacrificed His first born Son, Jesus Christ for YOU. And Jesus loves you so much that He willingly did what had to be done to bring you into relationship with God.

And our response? 1 John 4:19: “We love, because He first loved us.”

John10:10:The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

What is precious to you in your life? What would you do to protect it?

I remember an incident many years ago when someone broke into my apartment and stole some jewelry. I was young, away from my family, and had very little to my name. Nothing that I owned was of great monetary value, but it had great emotional value. When I left home as a teenager, my mother had sent me off with a few pieces of her jewelry, and one from my aunt, among them a pair of silver filigree earrings and a silver cross. We have a picture of my aunt from the early 1900’s wearing that cross when she was a little girl. These treasures, and others, were stolen, and I was devastated. I was thankful that we were not hurt but hurt over what was lost. Thievery hurts.

Although those pieces of jewelry were precious to me, I have treasure that is of far greater value: the treasure that I have through faith in Jesus Christ. That treasure is priceless and vast, and freely given by God’s grace, through faith. The second half of John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came so that we could have life “abundantly”, and that life that He came to give us in abundance is where the wealth of our treasure lies.

What are these treasures that God, the Giver, through His grace, so generously gives? There is quite a list, including: peace, love, joy, the gospel message, the new birth and wisdom. Everything that we have through Christ is our treasure: Jesus made it available to us when He died, was resurrected on the third day, and then ascended to sit at the Father’s right hand in heaven.

In contrast to the abundance we have through Christ, the first part of John 10:10 describes the actions of the thief: steal, kill and destroy. It is not enough for the thief to steal from us, he also wants to kill and to utterly destroy so there is no trace left of us. Thieves can only do their dirty deeds when they are given opportunity to carry them out. If I had known that a thief was going to enter my home, I might have taken my jewelry with me, or hidden it better, or set a trap to catch the thief. But I was caught off guard and did not adequately protect my treasures.

The thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy, often operates in a similar fashion, quietly and secretly, so we do not realize that our treasure is being stolen piece by piece, until we wake up one day and realize that we have neglected to worship our Lord for a week, or been robbed of peaceful sleep for a month, or started to believe something other than the truth of the Word of God and the gospel of Christ.

We could choose to set our focus on the thief, but when we do that, we give him exactly what he wants; when we focus on him, we cannot focus on Christ. Mama bears are known for how fiercely they protect their babies. These mamas are gentle and nurturing with their babies, but venture too close and they become fearsome, protective giants who will fight to death to protect their own. We, as followers of Christ, must apply that same ferocity to keeping our focus on Christ in order to protect our treasure.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

It is not by our power, intelligence or skills that we protect this treasure that we have, but only through the power of God. We are these “earthen vessels”: we crack, leak, weaken and break. No place to store anything of value! But God was intentional about setting it up like this: He wants us to rely wholly on Him. We should always believe and confess that our ability to stand up to that thief, slam the door in his face, and guard our treasure comes from God.

2 Timothy 1:14: Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

This earthen vessel is the temple of the most high God, and the Holy Spirit lives in this earthen vessel. When we allow God to work in and through us, of course He will work to protect what is His! He gave us the treasure and is invested in its security! But God will not force Himself in like the thief does: no, His approach is far gentler with His people. He wants our hearts, our trust, our love.

Matthew 6:19-21: ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Verse 21 has always seemed backwards to me: in the world, we love first and treasure second. We have collections of things, like stamps or baseball cards or money, because we have a love and passion for those things. But in God’s world, we gain the treasure through faith in Jesus Christ first, and as we continue to gather these heavenly treasures through obedience to the word and will of God, a beautiful thing happens: our love for God and the things of God grows! Where we have chosen to build our treasure is also where our hearts are.

So then, guarding our treasure looks very different from God’s perspective than it does from the world’s perspective. As followers of Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, our focus is not to protect, but to love, worship and follow our Lord, and give Him free reign to protect in whatever ways He sees best. Now this may involve some work on our part, but it must be work that is driven through faith, and not just of our knowledge and strength. We will always fall short, but God never will.

Resting and remaining in the presence and light of the Light of the world, Jesus Christ, is the way to protect what He has given us. Relying on His love for us, His power and His faithfulness helps us to guard our treasure, while also growing our love for Him. Stay there, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Your relationship with your Lord is the most valuable treasure you have. Guard and protect it by keeping your eyes on Him. God bless you abundantly!

Philippians 4:6-7 “⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I ended last time with these verses, where God clearly relates the absence of anxiety with the presence of peace. God’s encouragement and instruction to us in the Bible is quite clear: we should look to Him, focus on Him, trust Him, turn to Him, rest in Him, and delight in His “consolations”. We need to know Him, so we can know what He says about Himself and about us.

Thought stopping is one technique used in the mental health field that may help with anxiety. The idea here is to stop the anxious thoughts, and then replace them with positive or neutral thoughts. As Christians, those replacement thoughts are thoughts about our God and prayer to Him, which must be on a foundation of faith and believing.

The first step is to recognize the thoughts that are anxiety provoking; they may flow so freely and be so familiar that it can be difficult to recognize them. It is amazing how holding on to anxious thoughts can be justified by statements like “Well it could happen”. Darned right it could happen! The very real possibility that something could happen is often what feeds anxiety. So can healing and prosperity. But do we obsess about those? I know I don’t!

Let’s break down those couple of verses: God sets prayer in opposition to anxiety, giving us a replacement thought for our anxious thoughts. In fact, He gives us several different options that work beautifully and completely together. I am not a Greek scholar, but let’s look at the various words used in this section. Instead of having anxious thoughts we can take everything to God through:

Prayer: proseuche: prayer addressed to God (who we pray to is important; prayer cannot be just more anxious thoughts: it is a conversation with our faithful God, our able God, our willing God, our loving God, our Abba Father with a focus on Him and His strength not on the problem)

Supplication: deesis: a seeking/asking/entreating (have you ever had a child ask you over and over again for something? It might be if you will play with them, if it’s time to do something yet, for a puppy or a special toy. Have you ever noticed how they just don’t give up? Anxious thoughts don’t give up either, yet we often give up to easily in prayer. In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells His disciples to “ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking” until you get your answer)

Thanksgiving: eucharistia: giving of thanks (thanks in the midst of anxiety demands a shift in focus from the problem to God; the anxiety monsters become less fearsome when we stop feeding them with thoughts)

Requests: altema: what is or has been asked for (if you want chocolate cake, would you ask for Brussel sprouts? Sounds ridiculous, right? Work on being clear about what you are asking for. Anxious thoughts have a way of ending up far away from the original concern because they grow in strength and number when we give room to them; the original concern may be forgotten, or replaced by anxiety itself, and our prayers may become complaints rather than requests)

God then gives us a promise: when we are willing to let go of anxious thoughts and give it all to Him in prayer, trusting and believing that He is able, willing and loving, then God promises us we will have:

Peace: eirene: the Jewish greeting was and is “shalom” or “peace”. The peace we have through Christ goes beyond being wished as a greeting, but is given, because God is peace, and He lives inside us through His Holy Spirit; we are His temple. You, o anxious person, can house peace!

This peace that we are promised “surpasses all comprehension”, is so far above and beyond us that we cannot grasp it’s meaning. And, it has another feature as well: we are not only promised peace, but we are also promised that that peace will:

Guard: phroureo: to protect by guarding or keeping in its grasp (the peace of God will not let us go, and will act as the guardian of our hearts and minds against the challenges we face in this world. But the peace of God will not magically appear and take over: you have to be an active participant in the process, intentionally and willingly giving room and space for that marvelous peace to do its work)

So then, to sum up, these are steps to take to win the fight over anxiety:

Recognize each anxious thought

Don’t allow any anxious thought to take up space in your mind and life intentionally reject each anxious thought with prayer to God

Be specific in your prayer

Be persistent in your prayer

Be thankful in your prayer

Recognize that you have been given the peace of God and let that peace blossom in place of each anxious thought

If you need help, please do not sit alone with anxiety. Reach out to a friend, a pastor, a doctor or a therapist. There is help. I pray that you will remember that you are never alone, and that you can rest and remain in the presence of the Light of the world, draw from His strength and promises to fight and win this battle. Because you are more than a conqueror in this and every situation through Him who loves you!

“No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.” (Croft M. Pentz)

I believe there are basically two kinds of thinkers: internal and external. External thinkers verbalize their thought processes, not necessarily seeking input, but just because they think out loud. Internal thinkers have silent thought processes that they do not share out loud with others until they have had the opportunity to mull things over in their own heads. I confess that I am an internal thinker. There are rarely moments when my mind is still, and I find that the process is never ending: each thought leads into another, and then another and another. This internal thought process is the perfect breeding ground for anxious thoughts.

Anxious thoughts thrive in an environment where there is no one and nothing to interrupt the free flow of thoughts or offer a different perspective. They build on each other, multiplying like mice, and before the thinker knows it, he or she is in a thinking place they never intended to go. Sometimes, we are reluctant to let go of our anxious thoughts: they may feel familiar and comfortable, almost like a security blanket. Yet paradoxically they are distressing and painful. Perhaps, if we worry it feels like we are at least doing something in a situation which otherwise feels out of our control. Maybe it’s a habit that is hard to break. Maybe we have listened to the cultural influences that tell us we show care by worrying. Maybe it’s how our brains are wired. Whatever the reasons we worry, the act of worrying, the anxious thoughts, are not beneficial to us.

In Psalm 139:23, the psalmist (David) invites God into the deepest parts of his heart and thoughts. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;” The words “try me” could be translated as “scrutinize”. He is not afraid to have God to examine him, and really know him. He wants God to know about his anxious thoughts. David is almost painfully honest with God. When we trust someone completely, we are not afraid to bare our souls to them. We trust that they will still love us, regardless of what they hear or see. So it is with God: when we trust Him completely, we can be completely honest with Him. God’s love for us is so deep, that we cannot do anything to stop Him from loving us. He will always love us. If you are a parent, there have most likely been many times when your children have done something that has made you feel like you want to take drastic action (use your imagination what that might look like!) But I’ll bet that even in the midst of those angry thoughts, you have not stopped loving your children. If we, as imperfect humans, feel that way about our children imagine how much more our heavenly Father loves! Don’t be afraid to show God those thoughts; He can handle it, and He can help.

Psalm 94:19 tells us: “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” What are God’s “consolations”? To really get a good handle on that, I think we would have to go through the entire Bible: there are a lot. So here is a sampling:

Isaiah 41:10 “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” In Part 1, I went over the last few verses of Matthew 6, where Jesus was telling His disciples that instead of worrying about worldly things, they should be pursuing the things of God. His disciples most likely already had the knowledge of these verses from Isaiah: they were raised in the Jewish faith and knew the Scriptures. Yet they, like all of us, forgot, and needed a reminder that God was there with them. The word used for God in this verse is the Hebrew word “Elohim”, referring to God in relation to His creation. God has His righteous right hand (the right hand was the hand of blessing) extended towards us, full of His promises, by which He will hold us up and support us. That is a comforting thought, that the God of all creation has His hand of blessing extended to us.

1 Peter 5:6-7 “⁶Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” There are many things that stress us out and cause anxiety, and one of them is how we can “get ahead”, whether it’s at work, economically, in stature at church, with our friends, and on and on. Rather than stress about those things, God encourages us to be humble under Him, not to try and lift ourselves up, but rather allow Him to do that at the right time (not our time) and to give Him our worries about our position. How comforting and relieving to know that when we submit to Him, He will make sure that at the right time we are lifted up.

Romans 8:35, 37-39 “³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing, repeat…nothing, can separate us from the love of God which was shown to us through Christ. Whatever circumstances might be swirling around us, they DO NOT have the power to separate us from His love, and therefore from His promises, because the two kind of go hand in hand. Notice that little phrase “overwhelmingly conquer”. Anxiety certainly does not make us feel like we can conquer anything. Quite the opposite: anxiety makes us feel inadequate, unsure and out of control. Yet God tells us that we cannot be separated from His love, and therefore we conquer every situation. The Bible does not tell us ”all these things except for [inset your most crazy making situation here]”. It simply says “in all these things”: every situation, every challenge, every impassable bridge, every mindbender. That’s a thought I prefer to anchor on!

Proverbs 3:25-26 “²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
²⁶ For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.”

I love these verses, especially that part about “sudden fear”. How often do we get startled and jump, or scared of sudden changes, noises, etc? God in His love for us, even wrote about that in the Bible! He knew we would, and tells us not to, because we can have complete confidence in Him. Likewise, when hurtful, mean, wicked people want to rant against us, we don’t need to be anxious or afraid because He will not allow us to get trapped by them or fear. We just need to keep our eyes, hearts and minds on Him and He will do the work. When we allow our thoughts to dwell on that truth, rather than the “sudden fear”, we are consoled by our Lord.

Peace is the opposite of anxiety: they cannot co-exist at the same time, in the same place. Each of these verses points to God, knowing Him and His promises, believing them, and remembering them as the antidote to anxiety. This is not easy: it is about making a conscious choice with each anxious thought to put it to rest, choosing instead to take up the enlivening and empowering thoughts that focus on the love and strength of God. It takes courage and discipline to let go of those thoughts, and replace them with others. It takes a willingness to try something different and patience with yourself.

No God, no peace. Know God, know peace. 

The next time you find yourself getting lost in anxious thoughts, stop for a moment and ask yourself “Where is my God in my situation? Am I making room for Him in my thoughts? In my expectations? Am I remembering that He loves me?” It takes a mindful approach to recognize and stop anxious thoughts and refocus on the Light of the world rather than the circumstances.

Remember His instruction to us in Philippians 4:6-7 “⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That’s how we battle anxiety.

If you need help, please do not sit alone with anxiety. Reach out to a friend, a pastor, a doctor or a therapist. There is help. I pray that you will remember that you are never alone, and that you can rest and remain in the presence of the Light of the world, draw from His strength and promises to fight and win this battle. Because you are more than a conqueror in this and every situation!

The statistics are pretty grim: about 20% of Americans over the age of 18 have some type of diagnosed anxiety disorder, and the numbers are higher for those between the ages of 13 and 18, about 25%. (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics). Although the data is not clear yet, many believe that one of the outcomes of the COVID pandemic is that these numbers have been pushed higher. An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Network, reports a significant increase in self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression (JAMA Network, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2778458).

Anxiety is a very real struggle, and it affects the health, wellbeing and peace of millions of people in the US and around the world every day. Anxiety often results in physical as well as emotional distress. Anxiety is a real thing in the Bible as well; God talks about it directly in several places. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus addresses anxiety by using a direct and rational approach.

“v.25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” In the previous verse, Jesus had told His followers that they could not serve both God and “mammon”, referring to valuing wealth above God. Jesus was challenging them to have the right perspective about wealth. Similarly in this verse, He was challenging them to put their need for food and clothing in the right perspective. In the culture at the time of Jesus, people were judged by what they ate and what they put on, and if they did not have the right garments, or were not sitting at the right table (usually the head table) they were looked down on, or completely ignored. Sound familiar? Today, we worry about what brand clothing or sneakers we have, or whether our food is the store brand or not. In the end, does it really matter?

“v.26Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” I put bird food in my back yard for the birds that like to visit; I enjoy watching them fly in, eat and fly away again without a care in the world. But I know that there are lots more birds out there than I and other bird lovers can feed. And yet they eat, grow, thrive and live to have babies. God sees and provides for each of them. We are worth so much more in God’s eyes than they are! Christ died, rose and ascended, extending grace and forgiveness to all who believe. He did not do that for the birds!

“v.27And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”  There’s the million dollar question: what does worry actually do? Does it change outcomes? What is the added value to your life? It does not extend your life; in fact, it probably takes hours, days or years away from your life!

^“v.28And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,” Jesus gives another example from nature: lilies, representing flowers. There’s a reason flowers are given as a symbol of love or care: they are lovely, and they light up any room in which they’ve been placed. Their colors are so rich and vibrant, that some of them were used to die the clothing people wore. And all they do is what they know to do: grow!

“v.29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” Solomon was the richest, best dressed man of his time. But he did not hold a candle to those flowers! He probably delighted in his own extensive flower gardens, and might have even used some of them to dye his and his household’s clothing. In Old Testament times, those colored garments were special and anyone who had them stood out as a special person.   

“v.30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” Jesus challenges his followers’ faith again by comparing their greater value to the lesser value of grasses that are burned up. And yet God takes the time to make every blade of grass a beautiful green, every wildflower in the field beautiful, knowing that their life span is short. If God takes such care with plants, of course He will take greater care of us!  

“v.31Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’” Therefore, because of everything Jesus said in the previous verses, don’t allow those anxious thoughts to take up space in your head and eat up your emotions.  

“v.32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. The Gentiles did not know God, and therefore did not have His assurances that He would provide for them. Instead, they spent a great deal of time thinking about all these things. Jesus is chiding the Jews, with their rich history of seeing and experiencing God’s favor, blessings and provision, for not remembering and holding onto what they knew, and instead allowing anxious thinking to creep in.

“v.33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus is again challenging His followers to have the right perspective, to seek God first, and not to worry about other things so much. This is the third time in these few verses that Jesus has brought up the idea of perspective. Placing our thoughts and energies on earthly things, rather than on the Lord, promotes anxious thinking: it does not lead to peace. Focusing on the Lord, and trusting in His ability to provide, puts anxiety to rest.

“v.34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And by the way, worrying about tomorrow won’t help either: prepare, yes; worry, no. This verse tells us that if we worry about tomorrow today, we will still worry tomorrow as well, because we will find something else to worry about!

God knows we worry because He knows us inside and out. Jesus knew people worried, so He explicitly taught about it while He was here on earth, and it is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. In therapy, the approach that Jesus took with His followers is called “Cognitive Behavior Therapy”, and is quite widely used as an effective treatment model. Jesus challenged their thinking and their perspectives and offered them a different way to think. What is your perspective? Would it benefit you to review and adjust your perspective? Would a shift in focus put those things which consume your energy, thoughts, emotions and talents in a different place?

If you need help, please do not sit alone with anxiety. Reach out to a friend, a pastor, a doctor or a therapist. There is help. And enter, rest and remain in the presence of the Light of the world, in Whom there is perfect peace, and through Whom we have perfect peace.

More to come next time about anxiety and peace in the Bible. God bless with you with peace and rest!

O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever

He sought me and He bought me

With His redeeming blood

He loved me e’er I knew Him

And all my love is due Him

He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood

(E.M. Bartlett, songwriter)

I believe what the chorus of that old, beautifully written hymn says. I believe that I have victory through Jesus Christ and I am cleansed by His blood. I believe that He is my Savior. But sometimes doubt creeps in, and I start wondering if what God has promised will really come to pass. Will He really do that for me? Will He really perform what He has promised? Will I see it? Can I have faith and doubt at the same time? Does that make me a bad believer?

As human beings, we often wrestle with doubt and anxiety. We tend to want things to be secure and sure; we tend to believe that if we can touch it or see it, then it is a sure thing, and doubt goes away. But God asks us to do something different. He asks us to trust Him completely, have faith, without seeing.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “faith” as: a strong belief or trust in someone or something; belief in the existence of God; strong religious feelings or beliefs; a system of religious beliefs. In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible defines “faith” as “the assurance [confidence] of things hoped for, the conviction [proof] of things not seen”. There is an interesting twist in the definition of faith in Hebrews that the Merriam-Webster definition does not have: it is both the assurance and proof of what we do not see. This thing called faith gives us both confidence in what we do not see as well as the proof that it is there. That’s a bit if a mind-bender for me…but God says it in His Word.

In John 20, there is an account of Thomas, the disciple we know as Doubting Thomas, that explains how he got his name. Jesus appeared to the disciples and showed them His scarred hands and feet; but Thomas was not present. When he returned, the other disciples told him joyfully of their encounter with the resurrected Jesus. Thomas’ response was that unless he saw the wounds for himself, and could put his fingers in them, he would not believe. The Bible tells us that eight days later, Jesus shows up again, and this time Thomas is with them. Jesus says: ²⁷ Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:27-29). Thomas had to see it and touch it to believe.

Two things stand out to me in this account: first is the love and kindness of Jesus to come back to His disciples so He could raise Thomas’ faith. He could have dismissed Thomas as being unworthy of being called a disciple, but He did not. He came back for him; He came back and helped Thomas’ faith along by giving him what he needed. Secondly, Jesus’ statement “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” stands out to me.Jesus is speaking about you and I in that sentence. We have not seen Him in the flesh, and yet we can believe, and because of that, we are blessed.

Another example of Jesus’ love and kindness when it came to addressing doubt is in the account where Peter walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus was walking on the water towards His disciples who were in a boat in the middle of a storm. His appearance frightened the disciples, who thought He was a ghost, but He comforted them and told them it was He. Peter told Jesus to “prove” it by telling Peter to come to Him walking on the water (gotta love that guy!). So Jesus did, and Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the water. But when he took his eyes off Jesus he started to sink; he started to doubt when he looked around him instead of at Jesus. Jesus “immediately” reached out and grabbed Peter by the hand to save him. He didn’t let him suffer in his doubt: He saved him. And that wasn’t the end. Jesus continued to work with, rather than reject Peter and his doubt; He had big plans for Peter! By the time Peter was baptized in the Holy Spirit he was ready to preach about Jesus Christ without doubt or fear (Acts 2).

In Mark 9, a father brings his son who is possessed of a devil spirit to Jesus. Jesus asks the father what he has been going on, and the following conversation happens: ²¹And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²²It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” I love the humility of this man, who so desperately wanted to help his son. He had already experienced the disciples not being able to cast out the devil spirit, so when he came to Jesus, he was a bit hesitant. But as soon as Jesus confronted his faith, he asked Jesus to help him with his lack of faith as well. The story ends well (it’s worth the read!): Jesus cast out the unclean spirit and restored the boy to his father. Once again, doubt was not the end of the story: God had more in store.

Jesus does not leave people in doubt: He actively helps them through their doubt. It seems that faith and doubt can be present at the same time. But doubt cannot be ignored. God wants all of us: He wants our whole heart, our devotion and our commitment, and the only way to do that is to get rid of the doubt, confront it and kick it out. The boy’s father was quick to say that he believed, but also that he had some doubt, and he needed help with that as well. God knows our hearts, even those things we don’t disclose to anyone out of fear or pride. So why not just take those doubts to Him, at the same time that we profess faith, so He can help get rid of them?

It reminds me a bit of what I used to tell my kids when they were younger: “Always tell me the truth, even if you think I will be angry. We can work anything out when we are honest. But without the truth, it makes things twice as bad.” So it is with God, I believe. He just wants us to go to Him: we may not like that little niggly bit of fear that can come with being honest, but it’s worth it. When the father told Jesus that he had some doubt, Jesus did not reject Him: He showed the father and son love and grace by covering his doubt and healing his son. The Bible does not specifically say, but if the father had not admitted his doubt, things might not have turned out in the same way.

It takes humility to be transparent, even with our heavenly Father. We want to save face, appear confident and in control, and admitting doubt does neither. But God knows. It is not a secret from Him. God says in 2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” This was God’s message to the king as a rebuke for not trusting Him. He was basically saying: Trust Me, I am looking for ways to help you, I am always watchful: I just want your whole heart. He does not add: “except if you doubt”. He wants it all, because He is bigger than any doubt or hesitation you may have. And He knows what to do about it. Trust Him.

I pray that you will rest and remain in the marvelous presence and light of the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. It is as you remain in His presence that doubt will disappear. The faith you do have is both the assurance and proof of what you have not seen. That faith that you place in Him and give to Him, when it is in His hands, is enough to drown out doubt. God bless you!

Psalm 141:1-2 O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
² May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

My father was Armenian, and when I was a little girl, we sometimes went to the Armenian Orthodox Church for services. My favorite part of the service was when the priests would go around the church with their censers, or “poorvar”, spreading the aroma of the incense around the church. We called that incense “khoong”, a mixture of frankincense and myrrh. The “khoong” represents both the presence of God and the prayers of believers rising up to God. The structure of the “poorvar” has significance: the body is held by 3 chains which represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the fourth chain that holds them together represents the unity between the three. The 12 bells represent the 12 apostles, and they ring as the “poorvar” is swung to release the incense. In general, the “poorvar” represents our hearts, the “khoong” our prayers, and the fire burning the incense our love towards God. When I think about my prayers rising up towards God, or that I am the “scent of Christ” to God, (2 Corinthians 2:15) I think about and smell “khoong”.

In Revelation 2:4, Jesus says to the church at Ephesus: ^“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” He had a lot of praise for everything that they did, but He had a problem with how they carried it out, with the state of their heart. They had lost their original passion for the things of the Lord. What they did looked good, but the passion they had had withered, and Jesus did not like that. Even in the Old Testament, when God gave the people of Israel laws that they had to follow, He still looked at their hearts. In Micah 6:6-8, God puts into perspective for the people of Israel how He sees things:

“With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
⁷ Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
⁸ He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?”

That’s the heart that He wants us to have, one that is just and kind, and humble before the Lord. All the sacrifices in the world don’t matter to God if you have allowed the world to harden your heart, or if your heart is proud. God wants you, not your physical sacrifices: if God made the entire earth, would He really need a burnt offering or any other kind of sacrifice? He could have gotten that for Himself; all man was doing in the sacrifice was offering back to God what He had given in the first place. You and your heart are the sacrifices that God is seeking.

God reiterates His desire in Hosea 6:6: ⁶ For I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings. (Amplified, Classic) The idea that my God would delight in anything that I did is amazing! Makes me want to try harder, like a child who tries to please their Daddy. He adds in here that He also wants a relationship with His people, to build intimacy with them so that they will know Him.

In the Old Testament, God’s people could not approach Him without having the priests as intercessors. It was the priests who mediated the sacrifices made to God, and who could approach Him. It’s kind of hard to get to know someone when there is a wall separating you, yet that is what God desired with His people. When Jesus Christ came and died for us, besides giving us salvation, He also gave us access to God. Hebrews 10:19: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,”. And Ephesians 2:14 tells us that this access is equally granted to both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews): ^“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,”. Gentiles did not have the same access in the temple as the Jews did; they had to remain in the outskirts. But Christ changed all that: those who believe on Him have equal access to God. Hebrews 13:15-16 tells us: “¹⁵ Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. ¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” None of us needs a priest to mediate for us: it is “through Him [Jesus Christ]” that we “offer up a sacrifice of praise to God” which is what God has always desired from His people. Jesus is the way through which believers can offer that sacrifice that pleases God.

Mind blowing…the Creator of the universe, God Almighty, wants a relationship with you and I! He loves us so much that He made a way for us to do that – through faith in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, who did all the work for us. All we have to do is believe. There are things we can do to strengthen our relationship with God, but there is nothing we can do that gives us more access: Jesus has given us all the access we will ever need. And what should we do with that access? Offer up sacrifices of praise to Him; offer Him our hearts, our love, our praise and our worship. And then after we have done that, we should “not neglect doing good and sharing”. That’s the sacrifice that pleases God. He wants you first, and then out of that will flow good acts of kindness. May you bring a sacrifice that delights your God, and may you be the scent of Christ to God! God bless you!

A few months ago, I wrote about my beloved avocado plant, of which I was very proud. Avi, as I have fondly named my avocado plant, is still alive, but has gone through some changes.

Once he started to grow, Avi grew into a beautiful little plant with a straight stalk and four large bright leaves. The leaves moved towards the light, seeking its life giving light just as God created them to do, and for a while, Avi seemed to thrive. His incredible growth spurt slowed down, but he still continued to show life with the green leaves and a tiny new leaf in the very middle of the top. Then, unexpectedly, one of those beautiful leaves started to curl and shrivel on the ends; the shriveling spread further into the leaf. I watched it carefully day after day, making sure that Avi was properly watered and had enough light. But the leaf fell off. Then the second leaf started to do the same, followed soon after by the remaining two leaves, until all that was left of Avi was a slim stalk with a tiny bud of a leaf on the top.

I was dismayed. Was this the end of Avi? Should I throw Avi out, and forget about him? I decided to keep Avi just where he was, continue to watch him, water him, give him light, and see what happened.

Nothing. The tiny bud leaf didn’t drop off, but it also didn’t grow. It just kind of sat there. The stalk didn’t grow or change color. It just kind of stood there.

But I watched and waited and continued my rituals of care. And very slowly, Avi started to change. A second and third leaf started to bud and all three grew s-l-o-w-l-y. But they were growing! That meant Avi was not dead, only waiting…

I find sometimes that my faith walk follows a similar life cycle. As a new believer, I grew quickly, by leaps and bounds. I was enthusiastic, I drank everything in, I was hungry and thirsty for more. And I grew. But perhaps that early growth was too quick, because when the luster of newness wore off, I settled into a more complacent faith for a while. The adventure of something new had worn off, but the seed of faith was still there.

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9-10 “⁹that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” In John 3:3 Jesus explained salvation to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, in this way: “³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When we are born again, we become children of God because he gives us His seed. That seed grows inside us and flourishes to the point that it bears fruit when we take care of it through prayer, reading the Bible and spending time in the presence of God.

1 Peter 1:23: ^“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

That seed that He gives us, does not die but stays in us, is “imperishable”, and comes to us through the living word of God. At those times when it’s hard to pray, or when you feel distant from the Lord, you can be assured that you are still His child because you are born again of His imperishable seed. Your outer leaves may be shriveled up, they may have even fallen off, but you still possess the DNA that caused them to flourish in the first place.

As people, we are often driven by feelings, and gauge our well being by our feelings. I’ve gone through periods of time when I don’t “feel” like praying, when it “feels” like the words just are not coming out right, when I “feel” I can’t read the Bible because nothing is sinking in and I just read the same few verses over and over. Well, all those things may be true, but God knew that, so He made a way out: He gave us imperishable seed, so no matter how it feels we have the assurance that we are His children in us. We just have to believe that, and that the name of Jesus Christ is greater than any challenges we may face.

Now I know that this sounds easy, but often is not. I have agonized over my “dry seasons” or “deserts”, terms church people like to use for those times, begged God to get rid of them, and been aggravated when He does not miraculously do so. Yes, I can pray for the time to come to an end so I can be back in my comfortable place where I feel like doing all those things I should be doing. But if it lingers, perhaps my God is trying to stretch me and grow me. Perhaps I need to learn to be faithful in the midst of a drought, or a struggle, or distractions. Perhaps it is that faithfulness in the midst of adversity that He wants to strengthen, so that when real adversity hits me, I am prepared, and will never give up on that seed that He has so graciously planted in this heart.

The next time you feel unable to pray or read, remember that imperishable seed that God so graciously gave you. Hold onto that truth, and sit at His feet, in the marvelous light of the Light of the world! Stay there as long as you need to, holding on to the truth of what God has given you through Jesus Christ. No time spent in prayer, in the Bible and at the feet of Jesus is wasted time! God is faithful. Stay faithful…He will not allow you to stay in that desert forever, but will show you the way out. God bless you! He is faithful!