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Psalm 94.19 (NIV)
When anxiety
was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 120.1 (NIV)
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers
me.
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| Divine consolations are the effectual relief of troubled spirits.* |
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These verses do not refer to the physical disorder
that displays itself in shortness of breath and accelerated heartbeat. For that
kind of anxiety, one should (prayerfully) consult a physician. But when one’s anxiety is caused
by life in a fallen world, one needs to call upon the Great Physician.
In
the original language, the word translated “anxious thoughts” referred to the
small branches of trees, all tangled and entwining themselves together. Isn’t that
what anxiety feels like? In presenting your thoughts to God, try following each
anxiety from a loose end until you have traced it to its source. I find
journaling to be very helpful in untangling anxious thoughts.
Being able to call upon God in our distress is a
stress-reliever in itself. We can vent and be ourselves without fear of rejection
or ridicule. We don’t have to be afraid that our feelings will be belittled. As
if that weren’t enough, he also answers us. He speaks through his Word, through
a Sunday sermon, through the counsel of a Christian friend.
Once you have allowed God to untangle your anxious
thoughts, you will be able to echo the psalmist’s sentiments and testify to the
joy of his consolation.
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| There is as much difference between heavenly comforts and earthly, as between a banquet that is eaten and one that is painted on the wall.* |
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