Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am you God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

This doesn’t, at first blush, look like a healing verse. And, sure, you could, and should, be using it for any number of situations. However, is there any situation, which causes us to look anxiously around us more than a problem with our health? That is when God says, “I am right here with you. You don’t need to look around.”

Receiving a diagnosis that there is something amiss in your body is always a bit off putting. You feel rocked back onto your heels even if your faith is still in place. And, if we’re being honest, there is a moment, no matter how brief, when your heart feels the sting. Even if you are not facing a life and death matter, having a health situation or an injury troubles your heart. So, here we are, at the feet of God, asking Him how we confront the issues that attempt to create anxiety within us.

You know, I am quite fond of giving you tools, and today’s verse is a strong one. Here is what I want you to do. Stop reading this for a moment and re-read today’s verse. Read it aloud, even multiple times if you want. I’ll wait . . ..

Do you hear something when you read this? I hope you were able to read it aloud. And, if you read it aloud several times you may have noticed that your voice became stronger each time you read it. That is what this verse gives you. I wrote above that it is a strong tool, but I wanted to write “powerful” because I believe it is. I figured, though, that if I said it was powerful, you would think I was embellishing. However, when I read this verse, I feel strengthened inside of me. It’s like my spirit just rises up to take on whatever the world throws our way. Can you not hear the voice of God in this passage? Oh my, He is speaking right to us saying, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry. I am your God. I am with you, and I am going to help you.”

How is this not a verse for healing? God told us early on that He was our healer. Then we get to this verse and hear Him saying, “Don’t look anxiously around you because I am here. I am your healer.” Anxiety is a thief. It steals your calm, and it actually compromises health. God is showing us how we can retain a healthy body by giving Him all our anxiety and worry.

Do not fear. Yahweh is God. Do not let fear and anxiety steal from you. Remember who your God is and that He is with you. He is upholding you with the might of His right arm.

Happy Days

Psalm 146: 5              Good News Bible

Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them and who depend on the Lord their God.

This passage reminded me of the post, Fingerprints. How happy are those who have God looking after them. I count my blessings. The story about my storage unit is only one of the recent miraculous deeds Father has worked out for me. Some of the things He does are big things. Some are small. For example, He worked out every minute of my schedule one day so that I “accidentally” ran into two different people I needed to see. Living in those moments was crazy because one minute either way would have made a difference in each of those situations. It was amazing being in God’s hands and watching things unfold. Truly, it was one of those, “You had to be there,” moments. It was obvious Father was orchestrating my day. Just wonderful!

With the storage unit, He was looking out for me without my knowing what was going on. He was on His own taking care of my details. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am to our Father for the myriad of little things He does, some of which I probably never even realize.

Do I depend on the Lord my God? Increasingly so. Don’t you see how the directive to pray without ceasing is a simple operational procedure. I would never teach this as a burdensome thing. It is not a command to perform a ritualistic service. Instead, it is more akin to breathing. Breathing is automatic. You don’t have to think about it, plan it, be in just the right place, with the right tools. It is a part of everything you do all day and all night. Prayer will likely never be run by our autonomic nervous system, but I do believe it can approach that level of incorporation. We can become people of prayer such that we live in a prayer state and I believe we can do this without becoming weird. Yet, one of the greatest joys of life is that even without this continual prayer walk, Father is on the job looking to the details He knows we care about even when we don’t know there is a matter which needs prayer.

Ivey Ministries is dedicated to the idea that we can live lives intertwined with the Holy One. Part of that is that we might receive a revelation of how we can be plugged into communion with the Father at all times as was Jesus. Happy days, indeed, are ahead for those who depend on Yahweh and who have the God of Jacob helping them.

Beyond Expression

Psalm 112: 1, 7 – 8                Living Bible

Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing his commands. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid but can calmly face his foes.

Allow me to rephrase this, “All who revere or respect the Lord our God and trust in Him are blessed beyond words.” Surely, praise is in the house. Those who delight in following God’s words and His leading, and the title “God” here would include Father, Son and Spirit, are happy. They live in the joy that comes with unity with God.

There really is joy in following Jesus and delighting in his words. This verse goes on to say that these people do not fear bad news or live in dread of what may happen. Doesn’t that sound good? It is horrible and stressful living in fear. Jesus certainly wants you free of that. People who really trust God, believe He will take care of them. They even expect Him to look after them and to meet their needs.

These verses are joyous and they are not very complicated. To love God, to live according to His purposes, following His leading is to live a blessed life, a life free of worry and fear. We work ourselves into a deeper place of trust as we go. Each day you can enjoy more freedom than the day before. All of the keys are in today’s verses to help you go deeper. There is no reason for you to live in fear and dread when God has paved a way out for you. Delight yourself in His ways. Increasingly trust Him. Revere and honor Him. All of these lead to comfort and ease.

You may want to ponder these verses. There is great assurance in them and bold promises. Wrap your will, heart and mind around them and claim them, and their meaning, as your inheritance. Be blessed beyond words!

Cheery

2 Corinthians 9: 6 – 8

Each one must do (give) just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

God loves a cheerful giver. God is less concerned about one giving from the abundance of one’s purse than giving out of the abundance of one’s heart. He is less concerned with how much you give and more concerned with how you give. He wants you to give to Him and to His work because you love Him and because you want to give. He does not want you to feel compelled because there is some good work to give to. He certainly does not want your guilt offerings. In other words, He doesn’t want your gift to Him to be motivated by your guilty feelings. Give less if need be so that you can get happy. Make it a joyous occasion between you and the Lord. Take your eyes off of the person, church or ministry that you are sowing into and put your eyes and heart on the Lord. Let your gift be a blessing unto Him. Then you will really be happy.