When I was a kid, I had some pretty real (to me at the time) fears that may or may not have been heavily influenced by Saturday morning cartoons. Quicksand. The Bermuda Triangle. They may or may not have been heavily influenced by ‘Saturday morning cartoons!’ Funny how as I grew into an adult, all those fears faded away!
But now as adults, even though our fears may look different—they’re often much more real. We worry about our health, our families, our finances, our jobs, our relationships, and all the things that might happen tomorrow. The problem isn’t that these concerns aren’t real…the problem is what we do with them.
This week, as we wrap up our JOY THAT HOLDS series, we turn to one of the most familiar passages in Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Paul isn’t telling us to pretend that everything is going to be fine all the time. Instead, he points us to something better: the presence of the Lord in every situation …good or bad. “The Lord is near.”
Because Christ is near, we don’t have to carry tomorrow alone. We don’t have to solve every possible problem, control every possible outcome, or know exactly how everything will turn out. Instead, we can bring our fears to God, fill our minds with what is true, and faithfully live the day He has placed in front of us.
The promise is not that we will never face difficult things. The promise is that we will never face them alone. That is a peace (and joy!) that holds. Services are at 8:30 & 10am. Live Streaming available at 10am.
Pastor Wes Asheim
