How do you spell relief? Part 2

Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

Casting:  to throw away, throw off

Anxiety: to be drawn in different directions, disquietude, encumbrance

Cares: to be of interest to

One thing I like about this verse, is that God knows that we will be anxious, we do have worries. God understands that. But going beyond that God wants us to know that He can handle all those worries and distractions. 

In my kitchen is a container we use for trash/garbage. The garbage container is emptied often and the bag is loaded into the larger container in the garage. On Thursday, it's placed out at the curb, and the truck comes and empties the container. I do not want the garbage in my home for various reasons. One—it's garbage. It's useless. The other, it smells bad if left too long.  I have NO problem THROWING AWAY the garbage. I don't go into the garage and dig through it to being it back inside. I don't run after the truck to get my garbage back. 

Anxiety is like garbage to the soul. It causes confusion. It disrupts peace. And if left too long, it creates a stench as it festers and robs us of joy. 

There is no need to store anxiety. There is no need to let it fester. There is no need. Yet, too often we have a storage room full of it. 

How do we really throw away the anxiety? How do we empty the storage room of worry? 

Look again at the definition of anxiety. "To be drawn in different directions." The first way to throw away anxiety is refocus your heart and mind on God. Don't allow Satan to distract you with the "What ifs", or the "Why me?" or "What will I do?" or any other distraction Satan tries. Refocus!

How do you really refocus? A good place to start is: 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 

One truth that fits all those categories is.... "He cares about you!"

You are of great interest to God! Think about that for a moment. The God who created the entire UNIVERSE—is interested in YOU! He knows all about you. He knows your past, your present, and your future. He knows what makes you tick — He should, He created you! 

Anxiety—the chaos of being pulled in all directions. A place of unrest. A place of confusion. A place of worry. A place of darkness and despair. 

Peace— a stillness that God provides. It wells up in the heart and mind, as you focus on God and the truth that HE loves YOU! It's a deep intense peace that calms and comforts, no matter the circumstances around you. 

How do you spell relief? 

Relief: a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

True relief—

Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.
1 Peter 5:7 (VOICE)

Relief

R: Refocus

E: Empty the Garbage! 

L: Leave the garbage at the curb - don't allow it back in

I:  Individualize—God cares about ME! 

E: Embrace God's love 

F: Focus on and enjoy God's peace 

How do you spell relief? 

To read "How do you spell relief? part 1, click here.

Thanks Living: Companionship

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7

Be anxious: to be troubled with cares, distracted, take thought

Nothing: not even one, absolutely not one

Everything: every condition or in every matter, anything whatsoever

Prayer: earnest prayer addressed to God

Supplication: feel pressing need because of lack; hence, to make urgent appeal; to have deep personal need causing one to beseech (make earnest, specific request)

With: association and companionship; the same relations of participation

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Requests: a thing asked

Make known: be brought to the knowledge of

To: respect, which is the destination of the relation

God: the Creator and owner of all things

And: moreover, even, indeed

Peace: quietness, rest

God: the Creator and owner of all things

Surpasses: superior, superiority, excellency, higher, supreme

All: part(s) of a totality

Understanding: the intellective faculty, the understanding

Will guard: to mount guard as a sentinel; to hem in, protect—keep (with a garrison)

Hearts: the center and seat of spiritual life, "the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors"

Mind: thoughts and purposes; the intellect

Through: as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within)

Christ Jesus: the Anointed One; His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God

Association and Companionship.

With the same earnest compassion as when I make an urgent appeal to God—I am to give thanks to God. The earnest prayer expressing my need is to always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. 

Where the is a pressing need, anxiety becomes overwhelming, for we become consumed with the pressing need. However, when that need is shared with God along with thanksgiving to God, then God's peace becomes supreme diminishing the anxiety. 

Requests should always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. For when thoughts are directed from the urgent pressing need to thanking God for who He is, then things are put back into their proper perspective. And when one can see the situation from God's perspective, then peace overwhelms the anxiety. 

Companionship. 

God wants to hear our urgent pressing needs! But we must always make sure that we keep the companionship intact—request/thanksgiving. Thanks Living is truly understanding (and practicing) the companionship of crying out and thanksgiving. 

Quicksand of Trouble

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 138. Here is what I learned.

Lord, ·even when I have trouble all around me [if I walk in the midst of distress], you will keep me alive. When my enemies are angry, you will ·reach down [send out your hand] and save me by your ·power [right hand]. Psalm 138:7 (EXB)

When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power. Psalm 138:7 (GNT)

Even though I walk into the middle of trouble, you guard my life against the anger of my enemies. You stretch out your hand, and your right hand saves me. Psalm 138:7 (GW)

Midst: the center, surrounded. 

Trouble: adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.

Synonyms for Trouble: agitation, anxiety, bad news, bind, bother, commotion, concern, danger, difficulty, dilemma, dire straits, discontent, discord, disorder, disquiet, dissatisfaction, distress, disturbance, grief, hang-up, heartache, hindrance, hot water, inconvenience, irritation, mess, misfortune, nuisance, pain, pest, pickle, predicament, problem, puzzle, row, scrape, sorrow, spot, strain, stress, strife, struggle, suffering, task, torment, tribulation, tumult, unrest, vexation, woe.

No matter the word, when we find ourselves in trouble, often it’s hard to find the way out. Joy and happiness quickly become despair and discouragement. Being surrounded by trouble, there is choice. Look at the troubles surrounding you and sink deeper into despair and discouragement (which by the way will only cause you to sink deeper... like quicksand). OR look up and see God at work, knowing that He is present and that God can lift you out of the trouble and restore joy and happiness. 

Oh, God may leave you in the midst of the trouble for a time, to teach you, to teach others, or simply to bring glory to Himself... but even when surrounded by trouble, you don’t have to be discouraged, knowing that God will keep you safe. 

When  surrounded by troubles don’t fret and continue to struggle, for like quicksand the more you struggle, the deeper you’ll sink. Rather, stand tall and look up.... God is present and will restore the joy and happiness—even while still in trouble. It’s about recognizing that God is always present and that He is the one  who will save you. 

If I find myself surrounded by quicksand of trouble, to create a positive day, I need to stop trying to get out on my own, stand tall, look up and relax, knowing that God is present and will save me.