Prepared for Anything, Part IV
With three children and the usual expenses of raising a family. I tended to worry about finances—a lot! I read the last portion of Matthew 6 over and over again, trying to put away that sinful worry. However, God knew what I needed to learn in order to trust Him completely and stop worrying.
Bob was laid off. He had a decent severance package, but Miss Worrywart needed a name change. I truly believe his layoff was partly for my benefit.
As the months passed, hopelessness reared its ugly head. I didn’t think he’d ever get another job. That’s when I learned to truly worship God and, as a result, to fully trust Him. It wasn’t always easy but I discovered Scripture to be the basis for the richest times of worship. Whenever I was caught in the worry trap, I turned to familiar biblical passages and memorized verses. I could sit with Psalm 8 and turn it into my own prayer of praise. Or Isaiah 40. Or Psalm 96. Or the last few chapters of Job. Or Psalm 139. The list goes on and on.
And when I focused on who God is, on praising Him in the midst of our struggles, I discovered that worry and fear disappeared, replaced by an incredible sense of joy and anticipation. Sometimes I completely forgot what had concerned me so deeply before my time of worship. I even became more generous with what little we had.
Lesson #4: Scripture is the basis of praise and worship that helps put the cares of this world into perspective. I think that’s why the Bible so often urges us to praise God. Psalm 113:1-3 is just one example:
Bob was laid off. He had a decent severance package, but Miss Worrywart needed a name change. I truly believe his layoff was partly for my benefit.
As the months passed, hopelessness reared its ugly head. I didn’t think he’d ever get another job. That’s when I learned to truly worship God and, as a result, to fully trust Him. It wasn’t always easy but I discovered Scripture to be the basis for the richest times of worship. Whenever I was caught in the worry trap, I turned to familiar biblical passages and memorized verses. I could sit with Psalm 8 and turn it into my own prayer of praise. Or Isaiah 40. Or Psalm 96. Or the last few chapters of Job. Or Psalm 139. The list goes on and on.
And when I focused on who God is, on praising Him in the midst of our struggles, I discovered that worry and fear disappeared, replaced by an incredible sense of joy and anticipation. Sometimes I completely forgot what had concerned me so deeply before my time of worship. I even became more generous with what little we had.
Lesson #4: Scripture is the basis of praise and worship that helps put the cares of this world into perspective. I think that’s why the Bible so often urges us to praise God. Psalm 113:1-3 is just one example:
Praise the Lord.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
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