I very much appreciated this devotion, written by Adam Holz
Are you a worrier? I am. I wrestle with anxiety almost daily. I worry about big things. I worry about small things. Sometimes, it seems like I worry about everything. Once in my teens, I called the police when my parents were four hours late getting home.
Scripture repeatedly tells us not to be afraid. Because of God's goodness and power, and because He sent Jesus to die for us and His Holy Spirit to guide us, our fears don't have to rule our lives. We may well face hard things, but God has promised to be with us through it all.
One passage that has helped me profoundly in fearful moments is Isaiah 51:12-16. Here, God reminded His people, who had endured tremendous suffering, that He was still with them, and that His comforting presence is the ultimate reality. No matter how bad things may seem, "I, even I, am He who comforts you," He told them through the prophet Isaiah. (verse 12).
I love that promise. Those eight words have been an emotion-steadying anchor for my soul. I've clung to this promise repeatedly when life has felt overwhelming, when my own "constant terror" (verse 13) has felt oppressive. Through this passage, God reminds me to life my eyes from my fears and in faith and dependence to look to the One who "stretches out the heavens" (verse 13) - the One who promises to comfort us.
