May 1

Psalm 75, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99, 100

When I said, "My foot is slipping,"

your love, O Lord, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought joy to my soul.

~ Psalm 94:18-19

I can remember one day when I was in high school, sitting in my room reading the psalms. I was reading Psalm 94 and I clearly remember coming to a complete halt when I got to verses 18 and 19. I read them over and over and I knew that it was important. I made a point to memorize these two verses right then and there. In the years since then, there have been many times when I have shared these verses with people who were anxious or troubled. There have been many times when I was personally anxious or troubled, and remembering these verses helped to remind me not to worry. There was definitely a reason I was prompted to stop what I was doing and memorize those verses.

Anxiety is something we have all experienced in some way. You don't know what to do, you don't know what's going to happen, you have too much to do, you don't have enough time, you don't know how you will pay your bills, you have one thing go wrong after another, you don't know how to fix something, you don't know if you will ever feel right again... I could go on and on with the things that cause us to be anxious. It's not only emotionally and mentally exhausting, it can also cause serious health problems. Headaches, stomach pain, back pain, high blood pressure, erratic heart rate, difficulty breathing, insomnia, weakened immune system... again, I could go on and on. 

It's so easy for me to fall into a downward spiral of worry. All I can focus on is the problem right in front of me and I forget why I should not be afraid. Here are a few reasons why we should not be anxious, worrisome, or fearful:

~ Psalm 75:3 "When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm."

~ Psalm 93:3-4 "The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea — the LORD on high is mighty."

~ Psalm 97:1-6 "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory."

~ Psalm 100:3 "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

I think the reason I felt compelled to memorize Psalm 94:18-19 is because people (definitely including myself) have a natural tendency toward anxiety. I know for some, anxiety can be very debilitating, even to the point of making simple day-to-day tasks overwhelming. But if we deliberately focus on God, His promises, and His character (like what we find in the Psalms), then He will sooth our anxious hearts and bring joy to our souls.