WIN THE WAR ON WORRY

Want to win the war on worry? Rejoice in the Lord’s strength, faithfulness, and accomplishments. Rejoice in his creation, his incarnation, and his act of redemption. Anxiety decreases as our understanding of the Lord increases.

Want to see if your heart is weighed down with worry? Look for these clues:

Are you laughing less than you once did?
Do you see problems in every promise?
Would those who know you best describe you as increasingly negative and critical?
Do you assume something bad is going to happen?
How many days would you rather stay in bed than get up?
If given the chance, would you avoid any interaction with humanity for the rest of your life?

If you answered yes to more than a few of these questions, the Prince of Peace stands ready to help trade your cares for calm.

Devotion by Max Lucado | The Almighty Jehovah | https://thealmightyJehovah.com

What Gabriel Never Expected

Prior to Bethlehem God gave us his messengers, his teachers, his words. But in the manger God gave us himself. Extraordinary, don’t you think? I imagine even Gabriel scratched his head at the idea of “God with us.” Gabriel surely was not one to question his God-given missions. When God sent, Gabriel went.

And when word got out that God was to become a human, Gabriel was no doubt enthused. He could envision the moment: The Messiah in a blazing chariot. The King descending on a fiery cloud. An explosion of light from which the Messiah would emerge. What he never expected, however, was a slip of paper with a Nazarene address. “God will become a baby,” it read. “Tell the mother to name the child Jesus. And tell her not to be afraid.”

Gods With Us Promise

Jesus understands you. He’s faced hunger, sorrow, and death and wants to face them with you. The Bible says Jesus “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

If Jesus understands our weaknesses, then so does God. Jesus was God in human form. He was God with us. That’s why Jesus is called Immanuel. Immanu means “with us.” El refers to Elohim, or God. So Immanuel is not an “above-us God” or a “somewhere-in-the-neighborhood God.” He came as the “with-us God.” All of us.

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Search for restrictions on the promise, and you’ll find none. There’s no withholding tax on God’s “with us” promise. God is with us. What great news!

WIN THE WAR ON WORRY