January 21

Genesis 42:18-43:34

Matthew 13:47-14:12

Psalms 18:16-36

Proverbs 4:7-10

You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

Psalm 18:28

"Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop."

(Signature on Chuck's emails)

I've admitted before that I worry a lot about a lot of things. It's a constant battle I fight. I know I'm not suppose to do it. I know that it doesn't accomplish anything. I know that it does nothing but hurt me. And yet I can't seem to stop. 

My mistake is that I try to solve all my problems on my own. I dwell and I agonize and I plan, but I never seem to get it right, which causes me more worry. How do I stop from worrying?

I read Psalm 18 and I immediately thought of a quote that Chuck uses as a signature on his emails. "Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop." If we stay in the dark, our worries will do nothing but grow. Thankfully Psalm 18:28 tells us that the Lord is a lamp and He lights up our darkness. Without God, we are in the dark and our worries will always overtake us. With God, we are in the light and our worries will disappear, not because He takes away all of our troubles, but because He is with us through anything.