Human beings are prone to worry. It varies greatly from person to person, but all of us fall to the temptation to worry at times. It’s not hard to understand why we worry either. Nothing in this fallen world is exactly as it should be, and we all inherently know things could and should be better. We see it all around us in our world: racial tensions, political chaos, terrorism, and sinful people acting—well, sinfully! And then in our personal lives we rarely have everything going our way either: family strife, job woes, busyness, stress, etc.
What’s the Christian to do about all of this? Well, the worst course of action is to give in to the worries and allow them to consume us, in the process destroying our joy in Christ. No, the best thing to do is to look away from ourselves and focus on the goodness and mercies of God and on His promises for our future. I’ve found that to be a key to my own outlook on life when I’m discouraged or threatened in some way. My worrying about it won’t change anything for the better, but if I look toward the Lord and remember His glorious promises for my future hope, everything else falls into its proper perspective.
The prophet Isaiah was privileged to deliver the messages of the Lord to the people of Israel. Messages of both judgment and hope: judgment because they so often turned away from following the Lord, and hope because the grace and mercy of God would deliver them if they but believed in Him.
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)
This is one of my favorite verses of comfort when I am tempted to worry. The Lord will judge all that is wrong in the world one day soon. Those without faith in Christ will be lost. However, those of us who believe in Him will be saved. It is a sure thing. Therefore, we can confidently put our hope and trust in that glorious promise.
Tim Tomlinson President Bethlehem College and Seminary
Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for the summer to be refreshing and productive for our students as well as our faculty. These weeks are important for recharging for the coming school year.
2. Please be in prayer for our incoming students. We expect to have a strong class for both the college and seminary. Pray that the Lord would be with them and protect them as they transition to Minneapolis and to their new programs of study.
3. Please pray for me as I continue preparing for our upcoming Faculty and Staff planning days. These are important days of setting the tone for the year and encouraging one another in this great work!
