Recently, I was looking through my very first Bible that my Dad gave me when I got saved as a teenager. I used that Bible for many years, so there are a lot of notes and short prayers next to underlined scriptures that reveal His faithfulness to me.
One of the things that I noticed as I was looking through my old Bible was that, as a young believer, I was dealing with a lot of anxious thoughts. I did not have a record of personal testimonies (beyond my salvation) to hold onto or to remind my anxious heart of His faithfulness— I was just learning His Word and how to let scripture lead me. But I was about to embark on a life marked by the faithfulness of God!
One of the first notes that I came across as I flipped through the pages was next to the verse in Matthew 6:34 which says,
“Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself…”
I wrote a date next to that scripture and put a short note about how I was desiring a Godly husband to spend my life with. If I recall, I felt quite anxious about being alone and felt strongly that I needed a life partner who was strong in their faith.
What I didn’t know was that exactly 35 days later, I would be going on a first date with the man who would be my husband. A month earlier,r my heart was so anxious and concerned that I would not find a man who would love God and love me the way that I dreamed of. But God had already picked him out, and he would be better than anything I had ever dreamed of. I didn’t need to be anxious at all—
On another page, I had underlined a verse from Psalm 113:9,
“He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children.”
I had put a date next to that one as well because I had been going through treatments for infertility a few years after marrying my husband, and my heart was very anxious about whether we would ever be able to have a baby. A close friend had prayed that verse over me on the date that I marked on it. It was two weeks later that we were made aware of the baby girl that we would soon after adopt— and I would be three months pregnant the day we brought her home! Double portion answer.
There is one more note that I will share here (there are probably hundreds in this Bible), and it was regarding the call of God on my life. I underlined a verse from Matthew 7:7-8,
“Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and he who knocks it shall be opened.”
Again, anxiety was causing me to wonder where we would find where God had called us to serve and if what we had heard from the Lord regarding our future was real. Yet, only months after dating and putting a note on that page, we would end up being a part of a church plant leadership team where we would serve for the next sixteen years.
And— all three of these stories happened while I was either in my teens or 20s! So why am I sharing them with you? Because they were merely the beginning of God writing the story of His faithfulness upon the pages of my life. For every anxious thought, He already had the answer. The only real “warfare” was found in the battle of unbelief in my mind and soul, which was causing me anxiety.
We have a choice of where we can dwell— on the battlefield of anxiety and uncertainty in what we do not yet see or by the peaceful streams of faith in what we hope for and in the green pastures of the God who sees us and has good plans for our lives.
“Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4
We can either feed on His faithfulness or we can feed on the anxious thoughts that lead us back onto a battlefield that was never intended for us to fight on. Doubt, fear, and anxieties are like being pierced in our souls by a hot spear— over and over. They drag us back to the old man (before being born again), who had to figure everything out for himself. It is like walking barefoot over broken glass when we’ve been invited to walk upon lush green fields.
But we have been born into God’s covenant promise and have been adopted as a child of God. Therefore, we don’t have to depend upon what our eyes see or upon human understanding— we walk and live by faith and hope— and that hope does not disappoint!
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:1-5
Trials are often made up of the anxiety brought on by your unseen tomorrow. But God not only sees your tomorrow, but he goes ahead of you and clears the way for you.
These trials that we all face can either be merely survived (while living on the battleground of anxious thoughts) or you can thrive, grow in faith, develop character/endurance, and drink of the refreshing streams of hope as you put your trust in God. It is far better to walk with hope and expectancy than to walk with dread and anxiety.
Today may be your time to recall to mind all of the faithful acts that He has done on your behalf. Or, if you are new to walking with Jesus— meditate and learn the scriptures that talk about faith, hope, and His faithfulness to Israel (as well as verses about not being anxious) because you are about to have the stories of His faithfulness written upon the pages of your life.
“The Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You.” Psalm 84:11-12
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
Featured Image by Muhammad Daudy from Pixabay
