[Music] Today I want to stand and encourage anyone who's battling anxiety and worry. There are a lot of people out there facing real problems, real giants that are intruding in their lives. And although I may not have the solution regarding what you should do to solve your specific problem, I do know someone that you can invite to not only intervene and fight on your behalf, but also to ease your anxiety.
I know someone who can lift that burden for you. Someone who can move aside that mountain and slay that giant. That someone is Jesus Christ.
And so regardless of what your point of pain is, regardless of where your worry comes from, be it your marriage, your children, your health, your finances, your relationships, or your career, I invite you for the next few moments to hand that problem over to the Lord. In this world that we live in, it can be so easy to get discouraged. It's easy to drop our guard and let fear rule our lives.
If you don't hold on to the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, and the promises of God's word, you will be literally consumed by doubt, unbelief, and worry. But let us not be destroyed by our circumstances. Rather, let us look to the Lord.
Here's what the Bible says in Psalm 37:es 3-9. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry. Turn from your rage. Do not lose your temper.
It only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Now, I'd also like to read verses 23 and 24 of Psalm 37.
The Bible says, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall.
For the Lord holds them by the hand. " What a promise. As a child of God, as someone who trusts in God, the Bible tells you that though you may stumble, you will never fall because the Lord holds you by the hand.
Just picture how a parent holds the hand of their child. It's a loving hold, a protective hold. It's a pick you up as you fall kind of hold.
That's how the Almighty holds us. He doesn't just let us hold his hand, but he holds ours. And if it looks like we're going to fall, if he feels us faltering, he has a way that he can lift us up.
So, I want to remind you that we don't have to give into fear. We don't have to live in fear. We can choose instead to have faith.
Faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Faith in the risen king who lives today, and that is Jesus Christ. Our faith, it's not in a man.
It's not in any ruling authorities. Our faith is not in anything that we can see in the world around us. No, our faith is in the Lord God Almighty.
A God who never changes. He keeps all his promises. He's the only one who will never let you down.
He will never abandon you or leave you in despair. Even on your darkest days, even when you're faced with hardships that seem unbearable, you can rest knowing that you are under his sovereign control. Our faith, it cannot be in this changing world.
Our faith is in God. In the midst of turmoil, he is making all things work together for our good. He is always working behind the scenes.
He's working in ways that we might not yet recognize. But that's why we have to hang on to hope. That's why we don't have to despair.
When we face tribulation, we can be confident that nothing on heaven or earth could ever separate us from the love of God. I understand that we can't see the future in its entirety. We can only see what's right ahead of us.
But God, he sees it all. He knows the past, the present, and the future, and they are all in his hands. So when we surrender to God's plan for our lives, he gives us peace that passes understanding.
He enables us to live victoriously. And so I'm talking to you right now. If you're in a difficult place, what you must do is trust in the Lord.
You're not strong enough to live this life with your own strength. You're not wise enough to survive this life with your own wisdom. You need Jesus Christ.
We all need him. And because you need Jesus Christ, focus on him instead of on the problem. Focus on Jesus instead of that mountain.
And so now let us approach God. This God who has the ability to calm our fears and ease our anxiety. The one who cares for us.
So all we have to do is cast. If we cast our cares on him, he can handle them all. Dear Lord Jesus, your word says, "Once I was young and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. " Your word says, "The Lord rescues the godly. He is their fortress in times of trouble.
" Your word, dear Lord, says, "Truly, my soul finds rest in God. My salvation comes from him. Truly, he is my rock and my salvation.
He is my fortress. I will never be shaken. Take away our anxiety and give us peace, master.
Remove worry from our lives and give us joy. Our souls can find rest in you. Our hope, it comes from your word.
Truly Lord God. You are our rock and our salvation. King Jesus, with all of my heart and soul, I declare that I need you.
I need your mercy. I need your strength. I need your favor and your grace.
I need you, Lord, because your word in Psalm 40:es 1:3, it says, "I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction out of the miry bog and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Indeed, God, I wait patiently for you.
You alone can place my feet on steady ground and establish my way. And so, Lord, right now, I praise you. I cast my burdens on you because in this life, I acknowledge that I need your strength, Lord Jesus.
I need your grace and your mercy because there are some problems and some difficulties that I cannot overcome on my own. I need your strength. I need your mercy.
Lord, I ask that you would stand with me in times of difficulty. I pray that you would stand with me always. Psalm 73:es 23- 26.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
I praise you, Lord, for your faithfulness. I pray that the Holy Spirit would ignite a righteous and holy fire in my life. Holy Spirit, help me to be diligent with my walk with Christ.
Help me never to be half-hearted with my prayer life. Help me to be vigilant and alert in the spirit because the enemy, he's out there like a roaring lion. He's seeking whom he may devour.
Protect me, Father. I pray that I would not be consumed by thoughts of fear or anxiety or worry. I pray that my mind would be set on things above, on heavenly things, and not on things on this earth.
Lord Jesus, make me a believer who is on fire for you. I want to burn with a pure and holy passion. Remove everything that may try to hinder me from a closer walk with God.
Your word in Psalm 121:es 1 and 2, it says, "I lift up my eyes to the hill. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
I look to you, Lord Jesus. " So God, please help me to overcome adversity. I know that the strength for me to conquer anything is drawn from you, King Jesus.
So I will stand on your word forever. Father, I pray that my life would never be one that is ruled by fear. I pray to live a life full of faith, a life that is led by the Holy Spirit.
Lord, I accept that I cannot see the future in its entirety. You're the one who sees all and who knows all. And for that reason, I surrender to your plan for my life.
I know and trust that you're always working behind the scenes so that all things will work together for my good. God, I thank you for your precious word and I thank you for listening to my prayer. In Jesus name I pray.
[Music] Amen. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry. Turn from your rage. Do not lose your temper.
It only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Now, I'd also like to read verses 23 and 24 of Psalm 37.
The Bible says, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall.
For the Lord holds them by the hand.
