“He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalms 112:7 NIV

A beautiful and welcome sunrise after a very stormy night!

We are human; we worry. It keeps us up at night, it keeps us from focusing at work, it keeps us from relationships, and it keeps us from being closer to God. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” So we are in a fix! We are not supposed to worry, but how do we not worry?

As a parent, one of the things I always found myself worrying about was my children. Were they safe? Were they making good friends? Was I teaching them all I needed to? And when they were older, the worries seemed to increase! When they were in high school and driving I could spend the whole evening worrying. Were they where they were supposed to be, who were they with, when would they be home, how would I get to them if something happened? My life could have been taken over with worry. It is a path that once we start down it; it’s hard to get off!

The Bible tells us not to worry, but it also gives us wonderful advice on how not to worry. The first verse I love to read is Psalms 119:162 “I rejoice at your word as one who finds great treasure”. I start by searching the scriptures for treasure verses. Instead of worrying, I’m searching God’s word. There I find verses that I can memorize (or at my age, write down) to help me stave off worry.

My “go to” verse is Philippians 4:6. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God.” So instead of worrying, I would pray about my children and each particular situation and ask God to take care of them and thank Him for all of the other times (innumerable times) that He had cared for them in the past.

My next favorite verse is Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” So after I have turned my children over to the Lord in prayer and put them in His hands, now I am not to return to the worry. I am to train my mind to think of other things. All of the wonderful things that God has given to me, like my family and my children! All of the priceless times we have had as a family, all the marvelous things my children have said and done, all of the amazing blessings we’ve received; I think on these things and push the worry away.

The final verse I want to share with you is II Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. Worry, fear of the unknown, is not of God. God’s spirit is love, power, and a sound mind. We, with His help, can shove fear and worry aside with His love, His power, and the sound mind He has given us. And when we push fear and worry aside, God’s peace reigns in our minds and hearts.

This week find your own “treasure” verses to push fear and worry away. And enjoy the peace that only God can give!

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me today to combat worry and fear. I would love to know your favorite treasure verses. Please feel free to share in the comment section. Peace be with you!