What If…?

Anxiety is the fear of the ‘what if’s?’ Our minds race with the possibilities and soon our countless imagined fears outweigh the real issues before us. There is only one antidote to anxiety and it is the assurance that everything is going to be okay. But this is impossible for us to know from our limited perspective… can we see into the future? And if we could, do we even have the ability and might to do anything about it? O, that there was someone we could turn to for help…

Jeremiah’s world had been turned upside down; the security he had known as a youth under King Josiah’s religious revival slowly disappeared one poor kingly decision at a time. First, with Josiah’s poor choice to get in a fight with Neco of Egypt, and then the failure of Judah and its following leaders to learn from its past infidelities.

Jeremiah’s heart was bent towards God. Even as a youth he heard from Him, “But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.” Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:7-8)

So when Jeremiah was anxious about those things that seemed out of his control, God reminded him, “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know’” (Jer 33:2-3).

There is someone you can turn to that knows your anxious heart; someone who can calm your fears and give you rest…. if you’re willing to come to Him. Jesus promises, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”” (Matt 11:28-30)

The choice is yours, struggle on in your own limited abilities, frustrated, angry, and afraid; Or come to Jesus who faithfully walked with Jeremiah through battles that far exceed anything we will know. Come to Jesus who bore the ‘Just’ wrath of God towards all sin, going through hell on your behalf… I pray you choose to come to Him who has promised to carry you through any circumstance to His glory and your contentment. You do not have to be anxious, there is hope and His name is Jesus.

Choose wisely….

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:31-32)

Praying 4 U

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.