Freedom from Worry

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
—Jeremiah 29:11

Trusting in God’s wisdom gives us freedom from worry about the future. Have you ever been in a situation when you didn’t know what the future was going to be and you thought, “If I could simply fast-forward to the outcome of this situation, I wouldn’t worry so much right now?” The fact is there is no such device that allows us to fast-forward to the future. We cannot see what awaits us, but God sees it and He encourages us to trust Him.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” God knows the future for you because He has planned the future for you. God says, “You can rest; you can take it easy. I know the plans I have for you and they are good plans. Relax. Trust in Me.”
Some of you reading these words right now feel like your life is hanging in the balance. You feel like the trapeze artist who has let go of the trapeze bar and is hanging there, suspended in midair, waiting for the catcher to catch him. You can’t do anything about your situation, and you know if you try to grasp the bar prematurely, you will fall. Your job is to wait for the Catcher to do His job. To simply rest and be still and wait is very, very difficult to do . . . until you realize who the Catcher is.

God says, “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). We can trust in God’s love, as demonstrated by what Christ did for us on the cross. God’s love proves He does not want us to fall. God’s power is evidence that He has the ability to keep us from falling. God’s wisdom means He sees what is ahead of us, and He will be there at precisely the right time, ready to catch us. We really can trust in Him.

Do you really believe you can trust in God? Some of you need the inner peace that comes from knowing you are in a right relationship with God. You will never have that peace, that freedom from anxiety, until you know all is right between you and God. And that’s what becoming a Christian is all about. All you have to do is tell God you’re truly sorry for your sins. Admit to God what He already knows: that you failed Him. And then believe with all of your heart that Jesus Christ died to remove that barrier between you and God.

Maybe you are already a Christian but you are going through a storm. It came out of nowhere unexpectedly. As you’re in the middle of this storm, you need faith. If so, pray this prayer: “God, help my faith to remain strong. I pray that I would not give up, that I would believe in Your promise that You will take me to the other side. Thank You for being a God in whom I can trust. I trust Your love, Your wisdom, and Your power over my life. Thank You for being a good God who wants the best for me.”

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Developing a Trusting Heart” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.