I’m restless tonight… and that’s not the way it should be. I have been on the road most of this week, finishing out assignments that I was committed to complete before a hiatus of almost a month. I have been looking forward to this for quite a while and yet, today, I can not find peace. It is elusive, to say the least.
A dear friend of mine is dealing with a potential health crisis that looks like it will have a positive outcome; and for that I am grateful. But I am still intent on praying for him and his health. And yet another person I know is married to a gentleman who was just diagnosed with a form of lung cancer and he is not a good candidate for a surgical intervention. That reduces his chances of success to somewhere around 25-40%. He started massive doses of radiation yesterday and then will commence with chemotherapy.
On top of all that, we had a local incident happen today that reminded me of a similar situation several years ago and I find myself annoyed that I just can’t seem to find peace. Recently, I have been able to live a more even tempered life, but every so often something happens that seems to interrupt the flow of my life and set me off. Today is one of those times.
I have tried to set this distraction aside and certainly won’t rush to any remedy that may not be well thought out. Realizing that sometimes I react with haste and do not give myself time to think things through, I am consciously attempting to chill out and wait several days before I react. But in the meantime, I am frustrated that my peace has been compromised.
If I had better self discipline, I might not let these things get to me. But in my human frailty, I don’t always respond the way that I would like to respond. And to be sure, there have been a number of people in the Bible who had much the same feeling I have today.
Our verse for this evening comes from the apostle Peter. He tells, us, 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Simple, but very important words. Because we all suffer with anxiety periodically and sometimes we just don’t take the time to turn our issues over to the Lord. My encouragement this evening is that before you respond to problems with a knee jerk reaction, try to take a few moments to pray and then, having prayerfully considered your alternatives, turn things over to Jesus. He is waiting for you to come running to Him; setting your cares at His feet. My prayer is that God will give you peace – peace that only comes from communion with Him. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…