No matter what the battle or who the enemy is, we are not to look at the size of the enemy, but at the size of our God! So, if you’re struggling with anxiety about everything going on in our nation and the world or with the circumstances of your life, there is a better way to process it all. Today we’ll look at how we can refocus on the bigness of God and respond biblically.
Today’s Readings:
Deuteronomy 19 & 20
Psalm 38.1-8
Proverbs 12.23-25
Luke 4.31-44
Anxiety & The Size of Our God
Deuteronomy 19 & 20:
The Size of Our God
In chapter 20.1-4 the Israelites were told:
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt … Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Like the Israelites, no matter what the battle or who the enemy is, we are not to look at the size of the enemy but at the size of our God!
That is true whether the enemy is a job loss, an impending divorce, inflation, or anything else. But what does that look like and how can we respond to anxiety biblically and keep our eyes on the size of our God?
Interestingly, today’s passage from Proverbs talks about anxiety, too, so let’s take a look at it.
Proverbs 12.23-25:
Responding to Anxiety
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad (v. 25).
When we struggle with worries and cares that seem too much for us to carry, it can lead to feelings of discouragement and depression. They are too much for us to carry. That’s why we’re told repeatedly in Scripture not to carry them, but to give them to God. Philippians 4.6 says it bluntly, “Do not be anxious about anything …”
But it’s not enough to say “I shouldn’t worry.” We have to replace worry with something else. Let’s look at the second part of Philippians 4.6, “… but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Phil. 4.6).
When we’re tempted to worry and be anxious, we are to immediately turn to God in prayer and thankfulness. Think for a minute about what Jesus said in Matthew 6:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
As we take our requests to Him, we should remember how He cares for millions and millions of seemingly insignificant birds and He will take care of us, too. We can be thankful for His care for all of His creation. We can also think back with thankfulness to times when He has cared for us in the past and for all the blessings we have now.
Why Are You Anxious?
Jesus went on in Matthew 6:
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“O you of little faith?” Where does faith come from? It is a gift that God works in our hearts as we meditate on His Word and respond as faith does.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Three times Jesus commands us, “Do not be anxious,” because as our verse from Proverbs 12 tells us, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.” Trying to carry our cares and worries causes us to become spiritually exhausted. It’s a load we are not equipped to carry. And spiritual exhaustion leads to feelings of depression just as exerting physically causes us to be physically exhausted.
Come to Me
Instead, Jesus said:
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11.28-30).
His “yoke” is His teaching, His way of doing things. Look again at our verse in Proverbs, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”
Matthew Henry says that “good word” is God’s Word. It’s His “yoke,” if you will. So if you’re feeling anxious, pray, thank God for His provision, and meditate on God and His Word. Think about how He cares for the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field. Think about how He has cared for you in the past … and be thankful.
You might, also, go to BibleGateway or BlueLetterBible and do a word search. Look for Scriptures about trusting God and His faithfulness. And allow the truths of God to make your heart glad.
Here are some other recent posts that can help you focus on the size of our God:
“When You’re Tempted with Discouragement”
“Remember God’s Power, Promise & Presence”
And here are some posts from a series I did a while ago about handling emotions biblically:
Handling Fear & Worry Biblically: Acceptable Sins?
Handling Fear & Worry Biblically Part 2
Handling Tests & Trials Biblically: The Divine Squeeze
Handling Tests & Trials Biblically 2: Coming Forth as Gold
Handling Depression Biblically – Part 1
Handling Depression Biblically – Part 2
Handling Depression Biblically – Part 3
Handling Depression Biblically: “How?” – Part 4
If you need more help dealing with any of these emotions, you can contact the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors website to find a counselor in your area.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 38.1-8:
Genuine Repentance
David was undergoing an intense time of anxiety and depression, much like what Proverbs 12.25 described. It was brought on, at least in part, by his own sin. Even if our sin is merely being anxious and not fully trusting Him, we should follow David’s example and turn to God in faith and repentance.
Nothing we have done, no matter how big or how small, is too great for the grace of God to forgive and the blood of Christ to cover if we come humbly to Him in confession and brokenness. Like David, only His forgiveness can make us “whiter than snow” (Ps. 51.7) and give us the peace we need.
But repentance is much more than sorrow over the consequences of our actions, it is brokenness over the realization that our sin is always against our faithful, loving God. And genuine repentance involves a change in our thinking that leads to a change in our actions … how we think, speak, and act. And, instead of condemning us, it leads to forgiveness and grace (Prov. 28.13).
Luke 4.31-44:
Recharging Our Spiritual Batteries
At the end of a very busy day, possibly after ministering all night, Jesus headed for “a deserted place” (Lk 4.42). It was His custom to get alone with His Father. If He needed that spiritual refreshment, how much more do we, no matter how busy or distracted we are?
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about being a fool for God, the downward spiral that sin can take us on, becoming bored with God, fear, facing storms, and when friends betray us.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. And if you would like to receive a FREE downloadable and printable Bible study through the book of Mark, you can click here for more information.
And if this post spoke to you, I would so appreciate it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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