Jan 22 – The Anxiety of the Heart!

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (Proverbs 12:25)

Anxiety in the heart is the greatest enemy of faith. Anxiety and faith constantly fight one another, each trying to overpower the other.

When the disciples were troubled and their hearts were filled with fear, the Lord lovingly comforted them, saying, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). Yes—faith is the only medicine for anxiety. When you repeatedly confess the promises of God with faith, the anxieties of your heart will flee from you.

How do we get rid of anxiety? First, you must make your anxieties known to God. Second, you must lay your worries and burdens at His feet.

The Scripture gives us four beautiful verses on this:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

“Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Suppose you need one lakh rupees to conduct your daughter’s wedding, and you don’t even have a thousand. Your heart becomes anxious. Suddenly you remember a relative in the U.S., and you inform him of your need. He gladly responds saying “Don’t worry—I will take care of all the wedding expenses.” Immediately your anxiety disappears, because your trust has shifted to someone who has the ability to help.

If we can place confidence in a human relative, how much more should we place our faith in the Lord who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think!

The good words and promises of Jesus remove every worry and fill us with joy. When a father ran to Jesus, anxious for his son, the Lord said, “Go your way; your son lives.” (John 4:50). At that very moment, the man’s anxiety vanished. He returned home with confidence, and discovered that his son had begun to recover at that exact hour.

Beloved child of God, when anxieties arise, the loving words of your Redeemer will comfort and strengthen your heart.

Verse for further meditation: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:31)