7 Bible Verses to Cling to in Anxious Times
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One of the greatest struggles in life for many people is the thorn of anxiety.
I love that word cast. I think of how far a fishing line goes into the sea. We can throw our cares to God and He will take care of us. He will hold us steady in the hard times.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
I love the visual of birds being taken care of daily by God. He feeds them and cares for their needs. We are made in the image of the Lord and are more valuable than the birds. Ultimately we can have fear because we are not in control. These verses remind us that we are not in charge, but we can trust our God who is sovereign.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
When we feel alone in fear, this verse reminds us that God is with us and we do not need to be afraid of trouble. He will strengthen us and help us. He will hold us.
April Motl from Christianity shares, “However, when Scripture uses the image of God’s right hand, it is meant to be a picture of the pinnacle of strength and ability. In passages that specify God’s right hand, strength is a key focus.” The phrase “righteous right hand” informs us that God has 100% got us.
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
It is important to remember that everyone has different struggles in life. If you have an ongoing battle with the anxiety monster, you are not alone. I was challenged once by the thought that what if God allowed me to have a struggle so that He could be greater glorified in the midst of it.
Just like Paul had a thorn, maybe your thorn is anxiety. Remember the verses above that God’s grace is sufficient for you. His power is perfect in our weaknesses.
We can acknowledge that we are not perfect and we have difficulties, but Christ’s power rests on us and we can point to Him through our challenges. Then, as we learn to live more with the thorns that have been allowed, we grow stronger in our trust and bolder in our testimonies to encourage others.
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