Anxiety Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Tabetha’s Devotions

November 2, 2017

Anxious! Who’s Anxious?!?!?! ME!

I recently read on a blog by Joe Miller that according to Amazon, the most highlighted book by Kindle readers is the Bible. And Philippians 4:6-7 is the favorite passage. Here it is from the New International Version:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These verses are actually part of one of my all-time favorite passages in the bible.

Philippians 4:4-9
Final Exhortations
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I recently started reading Max Lucado’s book Anxious For Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World. I was so excited when a few pages in, he also quoted this passage as one of his all-time favs!

I am having a hard time putting the book down so don’t mind me if my next few blogs talk about what I am learning.

My father is about to go through a long rough surgery with an even longer and rougher recovery. To say that I am anxious is like saying oxygen is sometimes helpful. I will admit I am ANXIOUS!!!!

What are some of your go-to passages when you feel anxiety creeping up on you? Post in the comments below. You just might have the one someone needs to hear. I know I could use all the verses right now.

November 1, 2017

Hang on! Call on! Move on!

First I would like to apologize for not blogging the past couple of days. I have been battling the stomach flu.

It is amazing just how horrible you can feel from a little itty bitty microscopic thing! This dude can bring you to your knees in a matter of minutes! I am not ashamed to say I found myself in the fetal position praying God heal me or take me now, don’t leave me like this!

I was physically in pain, but have you ever been in so much emotional pain that you felt this way. Well, I know a couple of guys in the bible that did!

Jonah was:

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
–Jonah 4:5-11

Elijah also had his issues:

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the Gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.

“I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

1 Kings 19:1-4

If these two great prophets can have issues that make them feel overwhelmed and distressed why don’t we think it is OK for us to feel that way sometimes too?

We are all going to go through periods of our lives that seem like too much to carry. The important thing is to hang on, call on and move on.

Hang on…James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Call on…Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Move on…Philippians 3:14 I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.

Don’t give up! Never Surrender! Simply Hang on, Call on and Move on!

October 23, 2017

My Very Cold Cup of Coffee

Luke 10:38-42 (TLB)

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem[a] they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. 39 Her sister Mary sat on the floor, listening to Jesus as he talked.

40 But Martha was the jittery type and was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing.

She came to Jesus and said, “Sir, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “Martha, dear friend, you are so upset over all these details! 42 There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her!”

First, I want to apologize for not blogging on Friday. I had a jam-packed day and honestly did not even remember until I was falling into bed at 1:30 Saturday morning.

That brings me to today…I have felt like I have been chasing myself all day long and I am a quick little sucker! I have been at least 10 steps behind the entire time. I would just feel like I was making ground and BOOM! There I go taking off again into twenty different directions.

My day started at 6:00 am. It is 2:50 in the afternoon and I just sat down to take a breath and enjoy my now very cold cup of coffee. However, I can finally see my desk. My emails have been answered. Copies are made and lesson plans are done. Whew!

I think I know how Martha felt. I have been that jittery type all day long fretting over all the details of my day. I unfortunatly also know how Martha felt. I did not take time this morning to just spend time with God. I rushed through my morning and didn’t even say good morning God.

I wonder if I had been a little more like Mary at the beginning of my day, I wouldn’t have ended up like Martha the rest of it. I am pretty sure my to-do list would not have gotten any smaller or magically disappeared. But maybe, just maybe, I would have caught up with myself and wouldn’t have felt so jittery. Maybe I wouldn’t be “enjoying” my very cold cup of coffee right now.

October 16, 2017

In the Darkest Hour, There is Still Hope in the Light

Micah 7:7-8
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.

I do not want to blog today
My day has been so long
I don’t know what to say today
Everything seems so wrong

My anxiety is running high today
My energy is running low
I sit here in the darkness today
I‘ve no where else to go

I will wait right here for you today
My hope in you is strong
The light will come back today
I hope my waits not long

I really did not want to blog today, but God reminded me of why I started blogging in the first place. I wanted to be real with people. Being real doesn’t only happen when the sky is filled with rainbows and unicorns. No, it is also on the days where I feel surround by complete darkness.

Today I am in a bad place, but I am OK. I am learning to follow Micah 7:7-8. I will sit and watch and wait for the Lord. I have hope my God will hear me. Don’t count me out yet, my friends. Satan has not won. I will rise. The Lord will light my way.

October 12, 2017

A World Without Hope

Psalm‬ ‭94‬:‭18‬
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. 19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

I cannot imagine a world with no hope. I live with times in my life of severe depression and anxiety. The only thing that pulls me through is hope. Hope that tomorrow will be better. This too shall pass. Light comes in the morning. These are the concepts I hang onto to keep me grounded.

However, I know there are people out there who do not have any hope. All they see around them is hate, evil and darkness. For them, there is no hope that anything will change. This too shall not pass for them. The light never comes. How awful to walk that path. To always feel alone.

To some, Christians look like fools because we stand on this hope. We seem to always find the silver lining. We see the glass half-full. People believe we are naïve and gullible.

However, even if any of that is accurate, so what? What is wrong with being hopeful? What is so wrong with being happy?

It takes hope to be creative. It took hope to convince everyone the world is round. It took hope to put some ragtag militia together to fight elite British troops to create a new country. It took hope to invent a phone without wires that fits in your pocket or on your wrist. It took hope to sit down and write a blog.

Face it, a world without hope is nothing. I think I will stick with being a Christian and hanging on to my hope

October 10, 2017

It Is A Bad Day, Not A Bad Life!

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Yep, it has been one of those days!

OK, so everything that has happened has been 1st world problems. I mean there was no world catastrophe that happened to me. It was a bunch of little things, but little things have a way of piling up into mounds.

Two rejection notices, cold sores covering half of my upper limit that keeps breaking open, a bad haircut, tendonitis flare up, and a generally burnt out feeling at my job equals an Alexander Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

So how does one survive? You scream, cry, eat the chocolate and when you are done, pull out 1 Peter 5:6-7.

Sorry Lord for my letting my issues pile up instead of turning to you right off. I know this life is filled with ups and downs. I also know I am human. Thank you for your grace and understanding. Thank you for listening to my temper tantrum and letting me cry. Mostly, thank you for picking up the pieces and setting me straight once again.

October 6, 2017

Get Grooving to Get Satan Moving!

Psalms 18:3
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Today I am struggling to find my gratitudes. It has been a particularly rough day. I am fighting an ear infection. It has spiked a fever in me which has led to seizure activity. That is not so unusual for me. Illness equals seizures.

What has been very vexing is that my body has chosen to play games. It seems to be doing the lovely childish game of “You’re going to seize, nope psych!” It hurts! Imagine a giant charlie horse from head to toe. My muscles are so tight and they won’t release until I have the seizure.

As of this writing, I am still waiting!

I find at times my spirit seizes up also. Satan can render me immovable. I find myself unable to pray or read my bible. I feel sick. In my experience, the only way out of this situation is through praise and worship.

Yes, praise is a weapon and it happens to be my weapon of choice when dealing with Satan’s tactics of oppression.

I would love to tell you that I immediately grab this weapon and wield it willfully and methodically, but I would be lying. As a matter of fact, I often have to force myself to start with a little humming. It comes out quite strained through gritted teeth, but soon I relax. My foot starts tapping and before you know it I am belting out some of my favorite tunes.

If you will pardon the expression, “I get my groove back!”

You see victory over dark powers comes through offering praise and affirming your hope in deliverance. Satan can’t stay around a soul praising and worshipping God. So call upon the LORD – who is worthy to be praised – so you will be delivered from your enemies!

If praise and worship are the bow, the songs must be the arrows. What do you have stashed in your quiver? What are some of the songs that really get you grooving and Satan moving?

2C917FF7-EE51-4166-98BB-D2EAC03EDAD7

October 5, 2017

You Can Feel…

Matthew 14:13a
As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone.

When Jesus heard John the Baptist had been killed, he was sad. Yes, Jesus was sad. He needed to be alone, so he went away to a place of solitude. He needed a moment to feel his feelings and work through them before continuing on with his ministry.

So why do we think we are not allowed to do the same?

Why do we think we must be these superhuman Christians who must carry on no matter what?

I know people mean well when they are trying to cheer me up. I have tried very hard to make people feel better too. However, sometimes I really just want to be left alone. I want to, no I NEED to just feel my pain.

I have tried to be little Miss Pollyanna with the ever-present smile. Trying to please all of the people all of the time. It doesn’t work. It is not healthy and contrary to what some would have you believe it is NOT what Jesus would do.

It is OK to tell people no. It is OK to go find a place of solitude. And it is ok to be sad. Jesus did and isn’t it our goal to be just like him?

October 4, 2017

See Me

Hebrews 12:2
We must focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

God sees me. He knows all about my struggles. He sees the drama and pain. God has a plan for me. He has a path for me. he knows the bumpss and hills and even the valleys and mountains that I will climb.

God will be there for every step. His love is unfailing and his grace abounds. His promises never change and he is faithful always and forever.

So, do you want to hear the good news? He is there to do the same for you!

Whatever you’re
Facing today…
Whatever helpless or
Hopeless situations
Are around you…
Turn your heart to God
(~Leah Dipacal)

October 3, 2017

Speak to Me

Psalm 29:11
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.

This verse has crossed my path several times today. In my experience, this means God has a reason for it. Something in my life either now or coming my way will be tied to this verse. God is trying to tell me something.

So now the question is why. Why this verse? Why now? What is going on in my life that needs a reminder from God. How am I going to apply this verse to my life today?

1. A friend had surgery today. I sent her this verse. I prayed God would send peace and strength to all who were involved in the surgery.

2. I have struggled with my depression the past couple of days. This morning I opened my email and this verse showed up as the key verse of a devotion. The author was battling her own demons and found comfort in this verse.

3. I was trying to work on my dissertation exam and getting very frustrated. I felt lost and I looked up and saw this verse. I had written it down on an index card months ago and had put it on my bulletin board.

Now, I know many people would say you can make a verse mean anything or apply to any situation. Some would even say it is a coincidence. You have the right to believe whatever you wish. It doesn’t matter because I find comfort in the verse. That is the only thing that matters.

I hope and pray that God speaks to you. I pray he sends you a verse of comfort in all your times of need. I pray God gives you strength and he blesses you with peace.

Tag: Anxiety

Anxious! Who’s Anxious?!?!?! ME!

Like this:

Hang on! Call on! Move on!

Like this:

My Very Cold Cup of Coffee

Like this:

In the Darkest Hour, There is Still Hope in the Light

Like this:

A World Without Hope

Like this:

It Is A Bad Day, Not A Bad Life!

Like this:

Get Grooving to Get Satan Moving!

Like this:

You Can Feel…

Like this:

See Me

Like this:

Speak to Me

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this:

Thanks For Sharing!

Like this: