But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice, Let them ever sing for joy; Because You cover and shelter them, Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You. For You, O Lord , bless the righteous man [the one who is in right standing with You]; You surround him with favor as with a shield.
PSALM 5:11-12 AMP
Dear Anxious Person,
You too can have joy. Instead of succumbing to the whirlwind of emotion, take refuge in the Lord. If you do that you will have joy! You can trade that heaviness in your chest for a heart filled with joy. You can trade the mental immobilization for an enjoyable and productive day. In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Isn’t that awesome? You can be full of joy. You are free to love a joyful life because you are safe and secure by the creator of the universe.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Many of the things you worry about are things that CAN NOT TRULY HARM YOU. You begin to realize this as you make it a habit to stay in His presence and His peace. I ONLY experience this joy on a daily basis when I prioritize the Lord. When I decide to meditate on the word, pray, and spend time in worship, it sets my day up for joy. When I don’t, the smallest things may trigger me. Get ahead of your anxiety, and decide what type of day you are going to have. Is it going to be riddled with anxious thoughts, or is it going to be peaceful and full of joy? The choice is yours. Take your pick.
As you go through your day, shift your focus to how you can be more like Christ. How can you walk in obedience today? How can you show love or kindness to someone? When you walk in obedience you are blessed. When you walk in obedience you are in right standing with the Lord. When you are in right standing with the Lord you are surrounded with a shield of favor. If you have favor with the Lord you don’t have to walk in anxiety. If you are blessed why should you be worried?
In reality anxious thoughts come. That’s life. It’s going to happen. The key is to start your day with Him, end your day with Him, and recall what is promised to you when anxiety arises. So take that time in the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day. Take that time before you check your phone, before you start thinking about your daily to do list, before you even consider a single thing that makes you anxious and give it to the Lord. You will have an unspeakable joy that you can’t explain.
Yours Truly,
Domonique Lanise
