Anxiety. We all have succumbed to its pressure at least once or twice in our lives. For me, one of those times is currently happening. There is a presentation I have to give and be judged on for research I have been conducting over the past year. To say the least, I. Am. Terrified. I have been putting thinking about this presentation off for the past year (I knew I would have to do it sooner or later) and it was all fine until today, the night before. God knows what my anxiety looks like. He knows how big it is right now. But the thing is, I need to remind myself of how big He is and what His power looks like because ultimately I just may be horrible at giving presentations. It may not be a gift of mine, but God has power to enhance those gifts. He truly has the power to do anything! You and I have a part in this also. It tells us in the Bible that we must not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we are to present our requests to God. As a result, He will give us His peace that surpasses all understanding as well as guarding our hearts and minds. (Phil. 4:6-7) This verse is widely known by a lot of people. So, why then do we continue this tragic road filled with worry and fear? It baffles me as to why when worry begins I just don't stop it at that moment and pray, make my request known to God, give thanks to Him and BELIEVE He will take care of it. I do this often, which if you would be honest with yourself you probably do too. We have a part in this, though. Praying. Asking. Believing. God is for us. He has a plan and purpose for our lives. Let's believe in that! Let His power reign in your life and give you the strength, confidence and a sound mind for what you may face. I will be right along with you as we take on this challenge. The challenge to not worry, but giving our anxieties over to God, believing He will come through for our success in the end and then we will be able to give Him the glory for sustaining us. Worry, fear, anxiety...cast it all on Him, because He cares for you. Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10
Be Blessed. Look Up. Pray. Believe. And Grow.
Peace & <3,
Samantha
The wind blows the treetops and rushes against the skin. It is unseen, yet felt. It stirs up the sea and tears away the rocks. It is unseen, yet is seen. I always wondered why some things on earth are invisible, yet felt or all we meet is the results of what we cannot see. Wind, in particular, is a mysterious phenomenon. Have you ever wondered why? Why is the wind invisible, yet felt and its effects on the earth are seen. Sometimes, I think I think way too deep into certain things. Maybe God has given me this as a gift, though. Wind is unseen. God is unseen. Wind's effects on the earth and on people (their lives and possessions) are seen and felt. God's effect on the earth and its people are seen and felt. John 8:3 “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit". I did a little research. In the Bible the Hebrew word, "spirit", is interpreted as "wind or breath". Something so simple, yet something we need. Wind is composed of air or oxygen. As living organisms we need this to sustain us. I don't think that wind is just something that happens. It is not something that is without purpose or meaning. I truly believe that wind is a reminder of God's sustaining truth, love and power that we cannot live without. Wind is a reminder to us that without air death will soon overcome us. So, is true for God and His Spirit that dwells on Earth. Without God death, depravity and misery will soon encamp us. Another property of wind is invisibility. We cannot tell which direction it will come next. We cannot see what it is composed of. We cannot understand its paths. Its paths are "just because". This, too, is similar to how God is. We do not know His plans. We do not know which direction He will take. We do not know all of what He is composed of. We trust the air. We trust that it will always be there. We trust in its sustaining force. So then, will we trust in God? Will we trust that He, too, will always be there? Will we trust that He will sustain us? I cannot make you or anyone else trust in Him. God cannot make you trust in Him. He has and will continue to offer opportunities for you to trust in Him. He will show you that He is trustworthy but will not force anything upon you. That decision, well it is up to us. It is a daily choice. We choose. We make that decision. So, what will you decide? What is holding you back from choosing to trust in Him? Why will you make that choice? Examine the pinch; that gut feeling inside you and take time to really think this through. It is a life or death situation. So, I urge you to choose wisely, every day.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things".
Peace & <3,
Samantha
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