A New Day

Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.” A certain man was troubled with terrible dizzy spells. He went from one doctor to another and none could tell him what the problem was. He tried everything, it seemed. Finally, it was bothering him so much he started to lose weight, and he couldn’t sleep at night. He became a nervous wreck and his health began to deteriorate. He had lost hope that he would ever recover. So he decided to prepare for the worst. He made out his will, bought a cemetery plot, and even made arrangements with the local undertaker for what he was convinced was his soon demise. He even decided to buy a new suit of clothes to be buried in. When he went into the haberdasher’s shop, he was measured for everything and picked out shoes, socks, coat, pants—and he asked for a size 15 shirt as well. The clerk said, “But, sir, you need a size 16 ½ shirt, not 15.” But the man insisted he wore a size 15. Finally, in exasperation the clerk said, “But if you wear a size 15 you’ll get dizzy spells!” Oh how we can be our own worst problem sometimes. How often has anxiety filled your life to such a degree that it becomes the controlling factor which deprives you of the peace that God intends for you to have? Notice our Scripture lesson today. Paul is succinct when he writes, “Be anxious for nothing.” How is that possible? Above all, we must have a deep seated relationship with God. To have the peace “of God” we must have, first and foremost, peace “with God.” For if I have peace “with God” then I know He is my Heavenly Father and nothing can happen to me without His sovereign permission. I then better understand Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to them who love God.” Furthermore, I know that worry does not change things—actually it negatively affects me physiologically, but never changes my circumstances. So I must change what I can in my life and those things I cannot, I turn them over to the Lord for His care. Once this occurs, I now have peace “with God” and the peace “of God.” What a difference peace makes, in changing any day of anxiety and fear, into a hope-filled new day.