Who needs this verse today? Raise your hands.

So what do we do with all the stuff making us anxious?

The verse says be anxious for nothing, but what has nothing meant to us? If you’re wondering what I mean, read on…

When have we skewed this word nothing?

It’s when something is bothering us, and we’re asked what it is, and we say nothing.

It’s when a child hides a cookie in a hand behind his back, and mom asks what he’s got, and he says nothing.

It’s when we’re hurting, and others care, and we tell them it’s nothing.

Get the idea?

I think we have an issue with nothing, because we’ve used it far too often in the wrong context. Basically, we’ve lied about what nothing really means.

So if we’re anxious, and someone asks what we’re anxious about, if we say nothing we’re not getting it. We’re not suppose to push it down to fit our definition of nothing, because God’s definition of nothing is there is not one thing that need make us anxious. No thing.

When God says be anxious for nothing, His nothing means everything. It means He can take everything that makes us anxious, and make it nothing. I love God’s math, don’t you?

We can’t control when anxious comes knocking, but we can cast it into the nothing pile.

God gives us the key, the direction, the instruction. It’s right there in the verse.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t make us figure out scripture like a crossword puzzle?

When we become anxious, we may not be able to answer, what is a six letter word we tend to forget…

True He may not reveal all the answers, but this verse? I think it’s about as plain as day.

Read it again. Can you say it without looking?

I don’t know about you, but knowing the peace of God is guarding my heart and mind, causes me to wonder what in the world I need to be anxious about.

We must continually remind ourselves to let this truth sink in deep.

These are not just words on a page, this is the Word of grace and truth. Big difference.

Isn’t it beyond amazing, that God uses scripture to teach us the importance of scripture?

I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

So we’ve got to hide Philippians 4:6-7 in our heart.

If God is telling us to be anxious for nothing, I’m thinking we need to pay close attention, and adhere.

According to Merriam-Webster, the word anxious comes from the Latin anxius; akin to Latin angere to strangle, distress — more at anger. Google search references the origin to mean to choke.

Anxiousness, anxiety, it chokes us.

We can choose choke, or we can choose peace. Let’s intentionally practice what God says, and experience the peace He wants to bring us.

Don’t forget, it’s with thanksgiving.

So since we all have our hands raised,  we can praise God, lifting our right hand a bit higher because He holds it.

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