To Those Battling Worry

To those battling worry, afraid of what’s to come, hear this. You who worry are worried about the suffering (emotional or physical) that would come if something bad happened. What the enemy doesn’t want you to see if that the worry IS the suffering. To worry IS to suffer regardless. Even if the future God has for you is totally different than your worried imagination, you’re still suffering if you’re worrying! “All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs‬ ‭15:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬... all days become days of affliction if even your good days are spent worrying instead of joyfulness and thankfulness. The enemy CANNOT change or steal the plans God has for you! He can only try to INFLUENCE you to choose to not have hope or to not have joy. So here’s some fuel for the fight that the Lord revealed in His word: I’ve been noticing the number 47 countless times a day. James 4:7 says “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” To Submit means to “accept or YIELD to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person” Or “agree to REFER a matter to a third party for decision or adjudication”. When I saw the word yield, I thought of driving. Yielding to God means SLOWING or STOPPING ourselves to give God space to move. He has the right of way— He IS the way! If two cars are at a junction and one does not yield, the other cannot move. If we don’t yield ourselves, we don’t get out of God’s way to move. The second definition requires us to refer the matter to God. Having been a counselor in the past, referring a client was to discontinue seeing them and place them in the care of another who can better address their needs. Time to give your worries a referral! Discontinue seeing them! Put them in God’s hands, recognizing they are out of your area of expertise to address! This verse in James also tells us to RESIST the enemy. To resist means “withstand the action or effect of”, “try to prevent by action or argument”, “succeed in ignoring the attraction of (something wrong or unwise)”, or “struggle against someone or something”. Let’s take the first definition. Withstanding reminds me of Ephesians 6, that putting on our armor for battle, we STAND. That’s all. Just keep standing. Don’t quit. Don’t lie down in a posture of acceptance. Just withstand. Second, argue and take action against the enemy! Whatever the worries he’s speaking are- argue against them in your declarations, and act in such a way it shows you don’t believe them. Third (my favorite), IGNORE the attraction of something wrong or unwise. The lies of the enemy are WRONG and UNWISE. Whatever he has you worried about or fearing, IGNORE it. He’s wrong. It may seem attractive to worry and attempt to control it, but the best approach is to just ignore it and keep on enjoying life. Finally, struggle against him! Struggles aren’t easy, and it may not feel easy to keep believing the promises before the manifestation, but continue to struggle against all that comes against your belief in your promises. Prepare for the blessing! “The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬...God has already released and spoken your answer! But it’s still up to us how we spend the time waiting for the manifestation. As you wait, what are you preparing yourself for?Are you preparing/bracing yourself for a bad future or preparing expectantly for a future of promises? Specifically to those warring with health concerns or struggles: Your word is JOY. Your weapon is joy in this season. I was in Proverbs yesterday, and I took note of every verse that spoke of life or health: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:20-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ““The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ““He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:30-31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:20-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In short, the secret to joy and healthy living according to Proverbs is simple. Who you listen to (and don't listen to), who you fear, and what you say (and don't say) is literally life giving. Fearing the Lord (putting power and weight on His words) over fearing the enemy. Thinking life giving thoughts and meditating on the good words of the Lord. Declaring God’s words as opposed to agreeing with the spirits of fear, anxiety, or depression. All of these things literally unravel the suffering the enemy is trying to inflict. Through this season the theme I've seen is smokescreens. The Lord is using the light of His Word- the lamp to our path- to shine through the "what ifs" and threats of the enemy. You may feel so weary and worn out from running away from your fears, but the Lord is about to show you that you're running from nothing! These smokescreen attacks are about to turn around in a mighty way and give you new courage that is going to serve you in future seasons. "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:1‬ ‭ Don’t be running from nothing. Stand up to worry. Let the lion of Judah who has fought it all for you already fill you with courage! This is not a season of trepidation but of liberation!