From Steve’s Library 12/2010
Do you believe God is who He says He is? Do you grasp the significance of His invisible hand? The Lord God has enclosed you before and behind. He already determined the moment of your death. And you can’t die until that moment. When that day arrives there’s not one thing you can do to change it. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Until then, His hand will uphold you and lead you every second of your life.
We can get anxious about missing God’s will. We can obsess over the potential for pain or disaster. Some of us worry ourselves sick.
God is for you. He’s on your team. He’s your safety net. He is watching over you. He knows what you need and will provide it at the exact right moment. God is involved in every detail of your life, including your decisions, both good and bad, wise and unwise. If you make a bad choice, His providence is there to catch you.
Therefore, don’t live in a state of constant anxiety. Anxiety-driven people are self-absorbed people who need to feel in control. It’s a miserable way to live, and it is all wasted energy.
Don’t misunderstand me. Anxiety is normal—just as is anger. It’s what you do with anxiety and anger that counts.
Yes, you’ve got to think wisely and recognize the consequences of your choices. But there’s a huge difference between thinking things through carefully and anxiously obsessing. “Tremble and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still,” said David (Psalm 4:4). You cannot be anxious and peacefully still at the same time. You are either one or the other. You can worship or you can worry. But you can’t do both at the same time.
So take your anxiety to the Lord (Philippians 4), and rest in the net. The truth is that you don’t have the ultimate control over anything in your life anyway. He does. He absolutely does. “Do not be worried about your life,” said the Lord, “for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
The antidote to anxiety is to do your part: Seek out God and His wisdom, and then make your decisions. Then you’ve got to let go, move forward, and trust in His goodness and mercy.
Are you going through an especially difficult chapter of life? God is intimately acquainted with every circumstance of your life. And He’s not wringing His hands. He’s got a plan. He knows what your future holds, and if you belong to Him, He’s not going to let go of you. He is your safety net. Hang in there with Him, and trust in His invisible hand. One day this chapter will end and a new one will begin. That day could be tomorrow. You don’t know. But He knows.
—Steve Farrar
Steve Farrar was the author of many books, including the best-sellers Point Man, Finishing Strong, and Battle Ready: Be Strong and of Good Courage in These Troubled Times.