4.19.2015

Walking on the Waves of Worry

Via Pinterest//Bethel Music's "You Make Me Brave"
With every challenge, I begin to drown.
  As I step onto the shore, I begin to drown in a sea of worry, in the waters of fear and distrust. Worry abounds in thought upon thought. It begins to control me.

  But just as I begin to worry, Jesus stands on the other side of the waves, calling me out, asking me to walk upon the waters with Him.

  Because of Him, He lifts me up out of the waters and saves me. His strength enables me to rise upon the waves of life, despite my drowning in the waters of worry and fear in every challenge.

It is these truths that God has revealed to me as I face the obstacle of worry.

    Recently, I was overcome in a week of stress. I had a huge paper due in my English Composition course, a huge (I mean, HUGE...30% of my grade) test in my U.S. History course, and then a math test, Spanish quiz, as well as other assignments due in my high school classes. I had no idea how I would make it. I was beyond stressed. Not only was I afraid of not doing well, but my schedule was so full that I was beginning to feel hopeless in just completing everything. But I knew that I can do all things through the One who strengthens me, and that I did. Placing my full trust in Him, despite the nagging worries swarming my thoughts, I still allowed God to work as He allowed me to successfully complete the week.

   Even despite obstacles, such as test date changes in math (after a full night of studying!) and other assignments popping up, God's love continued to shine. And I had a hope in my heart and a peace in my mind that everything was going to be okay.

  Initially, I was drowning. But Jesus helped me out of the waters and gave me peace. There was such a strong hope and calmness about me, a notion that everything was going to be okay.

    That Thursday, after a full week of assignments and tests completed, I had one thing left. I was about to face the biggest worry, my first test in my college history class. Everything else was completed. The week was almost over, but the biggest worry of mine was not yet able to pass.

    Sitting in my office chair, I was about to start off my day, before studying for the test, with time in His Word, and as I sat there, I knew that God wanted me to read something different, outside of what I had been reading in my daily plan, something that would prepare me for the day ahead of me. In the stillness of late morning, I asked God to reveal to me what He would like me to read. As I sat there in the silence, the thought of Matthew Chapter 6 kept appearing again and again in my mind. But I was so positive that it was my own thoughts, a thought of a random chapter that was not going to be of any help in regards to what I was really wanting to hear from God through His Word. But again and again and again, the thought kept popping into my mind. Eventually, I decided to read the chapter, although my mind was still in a state of doubt.

Sure enough, I opened my Bible to Matthew 6, and this is what I read:
 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Wow. I had read these verses so many times in my life, but I had forgotten its location in Matthew 6. Chills ran through my bones.

   God really does speak. His care and movement in our lives is so evident once we open our eyes to the blindness of the dark, shielding us from the clarity of His presence. Just when we decide to place all of our strength in Him, that is when we can walk on the waters of life. He speaks because He cares. But He moves when we have a heart of faith and devotion to Him.

   That day, I was reminded that if God takes care of the animals and the plants, He will surely take care of me. When I just put Him first, everything will fall into place. So as I placed everything at His feet, I knew that His words were a signal of the blessings that were about to come.

Sure enough, the week was filled with A's upon A's, including my history test.

  No glory to me, but all glory to the King on the throne! The King of surpassing greatness, the One who values us more than the flowers of the field and the birds of the air. The One who took it so far to die for US on the cross, because He loves us just that much.

  It was Him that helped me do the impossible that week. Remember that worry I had at the beginning of the week? I was not just worried about failure, but COMPLETION.  

   But Jesus gave me faith, and I was able to conquer the waves of worry and of life.
What's the point of worrying when His hand is holding my life? Why worry when I can place my full trust in a God who parted the Red Sea, created every creation in the universe, and who walked on the water?

And yes, He is the same God who is holding your life too!

2 comments:

  1. A beautiful blog post and exactly what I needed to hear too! Thank you for writing it, Alyssa. :)

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    Replies
    1. Aww, thank you so much, Naomi!! I'm so happy to hear that ☺

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