Worry

“He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” Psalm 18:16 (NKJV) Growing up, I always had a fear of water, especially if I had to swim a long distance. Access to a swimming pool in my northern community was not an option, so our swimming was in dugouts, rivers and lakes. One day, while swimming in a dugout, I was trying to make it from one end to the other. Fear overtook me, and I thought I wasn’t going to make it. However, I had a friend there who kept telling me, “You’re gonna […]

“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b (NLT) Whenever I read the Book of Esther, I am always so impressed with the courage that Esther showed in many ways. I especially notice it when she requested to appear before King Xerxes uninvited. In that culture, to do so could mean death. Yet she did as requested by her cousin, Mordecai. He thought that maybe there was a reason that Esther had been made queen for this very time—to help her people. She had courage, and went before the king uninvited, […]

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV) I recently saw a cartoon drawing of Jesus kneeling down in front of a small girl who is holding a little teddy bear. His hand is outstretched as if asking for her bear. She’s sad and is saying, “But I love it, God.” Little does she know that behind His back He is holding a larger, more beautiful teddy bear and He is saying, “Just trust me.” How […]

“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.” Philippians 4:6,7 (NIV) The other day when we were leaving home for a Gospel music trip, we noticed that our SUV wasn’t warming up the way it was supposed to. Right away I thought the worst, and wanted to take it to a garage to get it checked out. I started worrying and getting anxious about what to do. At […]

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8 (NIV) As a young girl learning to drive, I can remember the fear, exhilaration, and freedom that I experienced when behind the steering wheel. What a sense of responsibility to be out on the “open road.” I felt fairly confident that I could get myself and passengers safely to our destination. (Even though I could see the look of caution on their faces, I chose to ignore that!) Years later, my dad wanted to teach me how to drive our motor home. I said with […]

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) I sometimes think about that first time we flew in a plane where we were totally dependent on instruments. We were coming into Anchorage, Alaska, in a Navajo Chieftain, and the airport was all “socked in” with fog. The pilot kept checking with the tower as to how much visibility we had and, finally, when we were about 10 miles out, got the okay to land. I remember […]