In Joshua 1:8, we read this: Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
In Matt 6:33, we read this: Seek the Kingdom of Yehovah above all else, and live righteously, and He (Yehovah) will give you everything you need.
I have always been a worrywart, easily triggered into assuming the worst would happen. When I became a follower of Christ, it was first and foremost to receive forgiveness for my sins. The fact that Christ could also provide peace above all understanding and promised to meet my needs was an additional bonus. Perhaps Christ could give me peace of mind, so I did not have to worry so much? As the years went by, I noticed I had no problem believing I was forgiven, but I still struggled with being a worrywart.
To resolve the matter, I did what we would do in a situation like this; I asked my pastor how to handle life as a Christian and stop worrying. How could I, as a Christian, get a hold of the promise of a peace that surpasses all understanding? My pastor told me to rejoice in the fact that I was forgiven, saved, and washed by the Blood of Jesus. He guaranteed me that the joy of my salvation would override my worrying every time.
I made a genuine effort to do what he had told me, but it did not help. Even though I knew I was saved, even though I rejoiced in my salvation and knew I was safe for eternity, everyday issues and problems still triggered me to worry. When I told my pastor about this, he responded by saying I lacked faith. Why was it so difficult for me to stop being a worrywart?
Knowing that you are saved, washed in the Blood, and going to heaven when you die is a great joy. But let us be honest, most of us still have about 10-100 years left on this earth. Even though we are saved, even though we are going to heaven when we die, even though we are washed in the Blood, we are still going to get sick, people we love and care for will die, we will sometimes not be able to pay our bills and care for ourselves and our families. Life sucks sometimes, and we need God’s help to deal with it. God is more than willing and more than able to help us deal with the suckiness of life if we are able and willing to seek His help on His terms.
According to the Bible, our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus, will never leave you or forsake you. He has promised to be your God and care for you (Deut 28:1-14, Matt 6:25-34) for as long as you have left on this earth, and He has promised to bring you into eternity with Him when you die (John 3:16, 3:36). But this promise is conditional and depends on what you do.
If you want Him to be your God and care for you for the rest of your earthly life, it depends on your repentance. In Deut 28:1-14, Joshua 1:8, Matt 6:33, the Bible says if and only if we will obey His will for our lives, then and only then is He willing to be our God, to make our way successful and to care for us.
What is the will of God for our lives?
Ecclesiastes 12:13, Gospel of John, 1. John 2:6, fear Yehovah and obey His Tora (the written law of Moses).
If we refuse to repent and obey the will of God for our lives, God will refuse to be our God, and He will refuse to care for us in this life. He will also refuse to accept us the day we die because we have a dead faith unable to save us. (Matt 7:21-23) This is why I could not stop being a worrywart; I had not yet accepted the will of God for my life.
Even though I knew I was saved, even though I rejoiced in my salvation and knew I was safe for eternity, everyday issues and problems still triggered me to worry. When I told my pastor about this, he responded by saying I lacked faith. He told me I needed to rejoice more over the cross and the Blood, then everything would be ok. The more I tried to do what He said, the more I failed at living at peace. But the day I repented and accepted the will of God for my life (Eccl 12:13), everything changed. That was the day I decided to make the law of Moses the object of my faith.
In Joshua 1:8, we read this: Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
In Matt 6:33, we read this: Seek the Kingdom of Yehovah above all else, and live righteously, and He (Yehovah) will give you everything you need.
Joshua 1:8 and Matt 6:33 were the answers to all my worries. Here the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus. The God who had saved Me by the Blood of His Son told me how to be prosperous, successful, and have all my needs met. I only had to keep the book of the law on my lips and meditate on it day and night.
The next question I had was: How do I keep the book of the law on my lips and meditate on it day and night? I found the answer to this in Matt 6:25-34, Mark 11:24, the book of James, and Deut 28:1-14.
If you believe what God says in Deut 28:1-14, Matt 6:25-34, you will choose to live as if He has already given you what you need because you obey His law. If you live as if He has already given you what you need, you have to choose not to worry even though you might not see the situation’s outcome. When faced with everyday life circumstances, you have to decide to believe Yehovah is with you; He will help you and save you from this because you keep the law.
This is what it means to keep the law on my lips and meditate on it. You make the law of Moses the object of your faith.
Most of us still have about 10-100 years left. Even though we are saved, even though we are going to heaven when we die, even though we are washed in the Blood, we are still going to get sick, people we love and care for will die, we will sometimes not be able to pay our bills and care for ourselves and our families. If we keep the law of Moses as the object of our faith, we will see actual results as I have in my own life.
Am I still a worrywart?
No, not anymore.
I am still in this world, but not of this world. But because I am still in this world, I still have to deal with unexpected things that sometimes could give me a good reason to worry about what you might call the “suckiness of life.” When faced with the many challenges we have to go through as humans, I am no longer a worrywart. I have peace amid the storm; I have faith that Yehovah, my God, will somehow save me from whatever situation I am in. I have no idea what the outcome will be most of the time, but I am not worried, and I am not afraid because I have made the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus my God.
If you do what I have done and decide to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus (Eccl 12:13), you can be free from worry. You can have peace that surpasses all understanding and see the miracle workings of the God of Israel in your life. Best of all, you can know that you will have eternal life when you die. (John 3:36, Matt 7:21-23)
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