Psalm 94:19

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

      The Psalmist here understands both himself and others when it comes to worrying. Anxious thoughts really do multiply in people’s minds. They are worried about death, bills, their children, whether the car will start in the morning, running late and hundreds of other things. Some of them are traumatic life changing events and others are every day occurances. Some days we feel as though we have it under control, while on other days we are ambushed at every turn by anxious thoughts.

     So what is a Christian’s response to such overwhelming thoughts? Some people just say, “Don’t stress about it,” or, ” Don’t worry.” Yet when we try to stop worrying about something, it is as if someone told us not to think about yellow zebras. Now we cannot get the yellow zebras out of our mind. In fact, sometimes we stress about being stressed. How ironic! We need to have a plan of action other than just no longer being anxious.

      Luckily the Psalmist provides us with the cure in the same verse. He tells us how he handles such stress. He remembers the consolations of the Lord. He looks at everything the Lord has done for Him. In doing so, He is reminded that someone much more powerful than He is in charge. Also, He remembers that the Lord has already taken such good care of Him that He knows the Lord is looking out for Him now too. When we think about the blessings God has given us, we can fight the ambusing anxiety back until we again are at peace.

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.