When I was younger, I struggled with anxiety. I would bite my nails when it was time to take an exam or whenever I encountered a stressful situation. If it looked as though my parents were going to find out I had done something I knew they wouldn’t approve of, forget about it; I’d be a nervous wreck and couldn’t sit still until it was all over. My anxiety didn’t dissipate but increased as I got older. Now, as an adult, this is an area that I continue to work on. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like surprises, even the idea of them gives me agita. So, situations or circumstances popping up out of the blue are nowhere near the best-case scenarios for me. I like for things to be planned, even down to the minutest detail, because this brings me a level of peace and confidence.
What I learned over the years is there’s a significant difference between peace that you orchestrate and the peace and confidence that comes from God. Years ago, I would wake up in the morning dreading to get out of bed because I was juggling so many balls in the air; nothing felt sure. One day, I just asked God to help me to find joy in life, to create in me a new heart and zeal for life. He reminded me of the verse in Nehemiah 8:10(NLT). It states, “And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”
Since the fall of humanity as a result of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, a pattern of sinful behavior crept in. Because of the tricks of the devil, many people look for joy in the places where the darkness that beguiled them hangs out. They don’t accept the true light of Christ, but at the same time they feel continually the absence of it and look to fill it with many things. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. This is a joy that the world cannot give, and therefore, the world can’t take it away. It comes from the Lord; He’s the Source of it, and it is worth our every effort to secure this joy for ourselves.
It is not unusual for many people to think that by controlling all the details of a situation they can ensure things work out perfectly. I’ve thought this at times myself, but life doesn’t always corporate with our plans. God’s Word tells us in Proverbs 19:21(NLT), “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” We must remind ourselves constantly that nothing belongs to us, not even our own selves. The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. Every day that we are blessed to experience life on this earth is a day that belongs to God. So, we have to take the focus off ourselves. We have to make sure our agendas are secondary to God’s agenda and not let the angst of the moment keep us from being as thankful as we ought to be. We must open our hearts to God and allow His joy to overtake us.
The Lord’s joy is our strength. His joy springs forth from Him, and again, He is the Source of it. His good pleasure is to give us His joy, because we are His children and He is our Father. We belong to Him and He belongs to us. Psalm 84:11 tells us that He won’t withhold any good thing from those that live righteously. Thinking about this alone should inspire feelings of joy within us, because He loves us with an everlasting love and continually provides for us. He never wants us anxious or worried about the things of this world, and He tells us this in Philippians 4:6. Our strength comes from rejoicing in His goodness. Our confidence should forever abide in God, for He is our everything, and everything we need can be found in Him through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Every Day Belongs to God” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.