He is concerned
Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 86:4, NKJV)
The are individuals who gather information by just watching others. Looking at strangers pass us by, we get a sense of their disposition at that point. An example of someone walking quickly and almost breaking into a run, suggests a sense of urgency and hopefully purpose. There are others who stroll sluggishly as if not sure of where they are going to, others sit pensively lost in thoughts. There are different stories that we can tell of such observations, as we make best guesses of what is happening in the individuals lives. We are told that what is going on in our minds and emotions, finds expression in our outward appearance and actions. It is because of this that friends and family members can easily tell if we are happy and relaxed or if we are worried. As I reflected on this, I realized that there are individuals who are always worried about one thing or another. In the midst of a successful outcome, they are still cautious not to celebrate the good just in case a problem comes up. Discussing this with friends, we laughed that it is easy to get so used to living in perpetual worry so much so that when there is nothing to worry about, one would wonder why they are not worried. It is like one will always want to look for something to worry about. Admittedly, global and local news highlight the challenges of our times and if we focus on this, we lose our joy and strength.
Our reference verse comes from a chapter where David the psalmist is seeking God’s mercies. The premise of David’s faith is the acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and might. So David extols the majesty of God, declaring that He alone is God, He alone is worthy of praise, He alone is kind, compassionate and powerful. The picture that David paints of God in this psalm, helps us to understand why he (David), lifts up his heart to the Lord as his refuge and calls on the Lord to give him gladness. David recognizes that true joy and delight is only found in the Lord, He alone is above all others and therefore by His character, whatever He gives is sealed and perfected. The psalm calls us to a deeper knowing of the God that we believe in and so find our rest in Him. As I reflected on why we worry, I found that wanting to control situations and outcomes is the root of our worry. We worry because we are concerned about an outcome which might not be in our favour. Yet the bible let’s us know that we change nothing through our worrying. We worry about what we will eat or wear, yet our heavenly Father who provides to the birds of the air, knows that we have need for these things (Matthew 6:25-32). Beloved, we know that our God takes care of the birds which neither plant nor harvest, how much more does He take care of us. The children of Israel when in Egypt faced great troubles and even thought God had forgotten them. In sending Moses to go and deliver them, God said that He had seen the oppression of His people, heard their cries and known their sorrows and for this reason, He was going to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). It is comforting to know that God not only sees our worries but that He is concerned about them. He cares about our anxieties and hidden fears. What concerns us, concerns Him too – that is a wonderful thought to hang onto.
Brethren, when we worry, we are unconsciously saying that we do not trust God to take care of our situations. I confess that there are times when I too struggle with worry and when I catch myself, I repent in recognition that I cannot help myself. My joy and peace can only come from the Lord. Worry takes away our strength for the moment and removes our eyes from focusing on Jesus Christ our Lord. In His word, God shows us that He cares because we are but children to Him. He invites us to present our concerns and requests to Him and in return He gives us His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). He is one not to be shaken by our cares, and promises to sustain us through the seasons of life (Psalm 55:22). When we lean on Him, we will not be shaken by the happenings of life but will be assured of security and peace. We teach our children to sing the common chorus, “cast your burden unto Jesus for He cares for you”, that is the word of God. Question is whether we believe it and are convinced deep within our hearts that like children, we are to take our struggles to God. May we learn to trust in His care for us each moment of our lives.
Thoughts:
What are you worried about?
How has God carried you through your struggles?
What hinders your rejoicing in the Lord?