When the offering plate was passed in church a little boy reached quickly into his dad’s pocket, grabbed his wallet, and tossed it in just as the plate passed on by.
“Why did you do that?!” the stunned and panicked dad asked,
“The preacher said that everything belongs to the Lord and I just figured you forgot!”
Everything does belong to the Lord. In 1st Corinthians 10, Paul quoted Psalm 24 to remind us that:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
(1 Corinthians 10:26; Psalm 24:1)
I have come to know and experience that as a completely freeing truth. Not only that but coming back to this truth is a reset for any times I find myself spinning in anxiety.
The.
Earth.
Is.
The Lord’s.
Read that again:
The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it.
Does that include the things that make me anxious? Yes.
Does that include the situations that have me worried? Yes.
What about your health? Your family? Your finances? Yes. Yes. Yes.
Everything in the world is His. What a difference from the message the World offers.
What is that message? …Experience the Dream! Have it all! You deserve it! You are enough!
We are told to taste and see that the world is good but when we go beyond a few licks we, like the Tootsie Pop Owl, find that it’s all gone too soon and leaves us unsatisfied.
What is the call of the Lord? So different! When we taste and see we find that he is truly good! (Psalm 34:8)
He proves to be all-satisfying – more satisfying than giving the perfect gift that everyone will be talking about, more satisfying than receiving a great present – God grants us the fullness of delight in our hearts.
Psalm 145:19 promises, “He fulfills the desire of those who fear him.” Again, in Psalm 103:5, he is the one “who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
The refreshing truth that everything is the Lord’s brings me to a state of complete peace and satisfaction as I trust in Him.
Consider your anxious thoughts. Think about what has you spinning. Bring to mind the worries that are keeping you occupied. Now, place those in His hands. Picture yourself literally setting any of those things into the loving and beautiful hands that hold the world and everything in it. Now, let those things go.
Give it to Him and let Him take it all. Do that again and again because our hearts are prone to wander and return to grip again the things that make us anxious. Release it again and pray again.
Pray:
Father, I bring it all to You today. Not just my wallet but my heart. Take what I have – it’s already yours – and use it to your glory. Bless me with Your comfort and strength as I surrender all to You. -Amen
Open your Bible. Read the full chapters from Psalms that I wrote about above. Highlight these passages and come back to them. Thank God for the power in His Word to heal your mind and heart and calm your anxious thoughts.
Psalm 145:1-21 – a beautiful Psalm that points to God’s greatness and is organized by the Hebrew alphabet!
Psalm 103:1-22 – so many rich truths about who God is. This is always the beginning of the “cure” for anxiety – get back to the truths of who God is. Be released from focusing on yourself.
Psalm 24:1-10 – rich reminders of the greatness of God!
Psalm 34:1-22 – nothing satisfies like knowing that God is good and we can trust in Him!
You are loved and prayed for. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, worry, stressful feelings, please know that there is hope and healing. I encourage you to reach out for prayer or even to meet with your pastor. My church is a wonderful place for community and as a full-time pastor, I meet with people like you who want to hear and be heard. Please reach out. Use the contact form on my website.
Leave a Reply