stress – Meghan E White

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I couldn’t sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, I got up. It didn’t seem fair to wake my husband and include him in my insomnia. I went down the hall to the guest room and looked out the window. The moon was bright and beautiful. I grabbed my phone and headed outside to take a picture of one of my favorite things. It was calm. Peaceful. My anxious heart was soothed.

The moon always makes me smile. It reminds me of God’s purpose in everything and His awesome power. The moon helps set the tides in the oceans. True to God’s style, it’s beautiful, and bonus, is a light for the night sky. That’s pretty awesome. When I look at the moon it reminds me that God is still in control, even when I think He has forgotten me.

God never sleeps. When I was wide awake with an overactive, over thinking, trying to figure everything out mind, God was working. He doesn’t sleep because, well, He’s God. He met me in my worry. Through the still night and the illuminated moon God whispered, “I love you. I have a plan. Trust me.”

God is always at work in your life and in mine. Sometimes, we can’t see the progress. Sometimes, it’s night, and we are wide awake with worry. It can be so quiet that we assume He’s not doing anything. That is a lie. Sometimes, He is doing His most important work on our behalf, at night. Isaiah 64:4 “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (NIV).

Do you feel like it’s been continually night for a very long time? Are you waiting for the sun to rise on your circumstance or in your heart? Take courage. God is working out something fantastic for you in your night time. There are wonderful things occurring at night. Rest. Restoration. Growth. Healing. Miracles. There is beauty at night. The moon. The stars. Quietness. As you wait in your night time, remember that God never sleeps and is at work for you.

During the night talk to Him. Psalm 42:8b “at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life” (NIV). The night can be a great time to have an honest conversation with your Heavenly Father. There are no distractions. Just your thoughts. Use those night time moments to give it all to Him. Even if fear or stress is keeping you awake, God is still there waiting for you. He can give you peace. He wastes nothing. Not even a sleepless night.

Psalm 8:3-4 “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (NIV).

God set the moon and stars in place. He loves you and me, and cares for us! We are so important to God that He crowned us with glory and honor. If He keeps the moon in place than He can handle whatever is concerning you today. Whether it’s a sleepless night, or you are in a season of perpetual night, waiting on the Lord. Be encouraged. The morning is coming! Hold on tight to Jesus. He’s already holding on to you.

Love you all,

Meghan

Anxiety. Depression. Fear. Worry. I see the same issues over, and over again on social media, and all over the internet. Friends and family are struggling with these things too. I’ve had my own issues with worry over the years. I am quite good at it at times. We are all dealing with problems. As Christians we are not immune from trouble. Jesus tells us we will have trouble in this world, but to be encouraged since He has overcome the world (John 16:33). The trouble will come. I know that sounds like bad news. It is the reality of living in a fallen world. So how do we deal with the anxiety and worry about our struggles?

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Cast in Hebrew is from the root word shalak, and it means to throw, cast, hurl, fling. This changed everything for me years ago when I understood what cast really meant. This was a new revelation for me from the Holy Spirit. I had read this verse so many times over the years. Now, it has taken on a whole new meaning. If I throw, hurl, or fling my cares on the Lord I don’t have them anymore. He’s got them. And, even better, He will take care of me and won’t let me fall. But first, I have to throw my stress and worry on Him. This is not a question, or a suggestion. This is a command.

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Cast in Greek is epiripto. It’s definition is to throw upon, cast upon. Same meaning as the Hebrew word for cast. In the New Testament, the message repeats itself. Again, this is not a question, or a suggestion. This is a command. The verse just before this tells us to humble ourselves first, and that God will lift us up in due time (1 Peter 5:6). So an important part of throwing, or casting our anxiety on the Lord is humbling ourselves. It takes humility to let go of our fears and give them to God. This act means we are trusting Him to handle our anxiety His way. This can be scary.

Do I trust God to sustain me? His word is clear that He will never let the righteous fall, yet I hold on to my cares and burdens. For me, it’s about control and letting go. I want God to answer my prayers exactly how, and when I say. I have been a Christian long enough to know that it doesn’t work this way. I have to fully surrender to His plan every day. His plan for me is for good, and He always takes care of me. Always.

This is why it is so important to be in the word of God daily. Feelings and emotions can trick us into thinking God has abandon us. That is a lie. God is perfect. He will never let the righteous fall. We have to cast our cares and anxieties on Him. In fact, He tells us to do so. Throw, hurl, toss your cares on the Lord today! Now that’s a sort of shocking image. Tossing and hurling our troubles on the Lord. Once we cast our cares on Him they are His. Wow! God loves us that much! He is unbelievably good! Praise Him!

Now, I know this can be difficult to do. I can cast my cares on Him and then moments later take them right back. There is no limit to how many times we are to cast our cares on the Lord. If we have to cast our anxiety on Him every moment because the burden is heavy and the pain is so deep, then do it. No one on this earth can care for you the way God can. He’s telling us to throw our burdens on Him. Let’s take Him at His word, and do it!

Love you all,

Meghan

Tag: stress

God Never Sleeps

Cast Your Cares On Him