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. Psalms 37:3-4

If we let it, life is full of worry. In reality, we don’t even have to let it, as worry can just come as a natural part of life. Sometimes it can be so consuming. Modern “Science” seems to want to classify worry as a disease. I’m not sure I’m smart enough to know if that’s true or not, but what I can tell you is that people throughout the Bible have had moments of worry. Sometimes even intense anxiety, yet the answer to worry is consistent in Scripture. Trust in the Lord, Do good, Don’t worry.

To name a few examples, in the Old Testament, we have the prophet Elijah who had just defeated the prophets of Baal in an amazing story of triumph, and yet in the very next chapter, he is fleeing Jezebel and fearful of his life, to the point where he prays to God that he would die! God’s response was what you would expect… Hello, Elijah, didn’t you just see God’s power and protection, and yet you’re worried about Jezebel!?!… that’s my paraphrased version.

Then in the New Testament, we have the physical experience of our Lord himself sweating drops of blood because of what he was about to endure on the cross for you and me. Also, we have numerous examples of the disciples so afraid even though they had our Living Lord right there with them! Yes, worry is a part of our lives and experiences here on this earth, yet there is a Biblical prescription for it.

The answer to worry in the Scriptures is consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments. David says in Psalm 37 to not worry but to trust the Lord and do good. He also tells us to delight in the Lord. All of these things help with worry. I have found personally that it’s harder to worry when I’m filling my time with doing the good that God wants me to do and spending time delighting in God.

In the New Testament, Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t Let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me.” John 14:1. Sounds an awful lot like what David wrote in Psalms. Paul penned the words, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and then thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

So how are you doing at living out God’s prescription for worry? The prescription won’t change, but maybe we can if we fulfill it by trusting in the Lord and making our lives about doing His good and delighting in Him more.

Taking God’s prescription for worry with you,
Pastor Mike