Meditation

Read Psalm 94:16-19

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.—Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

Many times I have stressed over things beyond my control. I began to ask myself, Why? Do I doubt God? Then my friend suggested that when I felt stressed and worried over something, I should write it down, put it in a “God Box,” and stop fretting about it.

One day when I was stressing over things I could not control, I tried it. I wrote my worry on a piece of scrap paper, prayed, cried, and put it in the box. I may have prayed a few more times, but eventually I forgot it. Whenever a new issue came up, I put it in the box. And when I eventually decided to empty the God Box, I couldn’t remember a single thing I had written.

Over the years, I have grown in my faith and on longer need a physical God Box. I am better able to surrender my worries to God and trust that God cares for my concerns. I realize now that the answer to my earlier question is that I wasn’t trusting God. But God always cared for me. I have learned to trust more and doubt less with renewed hope and joy.

Prayer: Dear God, in our times of need, open our eyes to your love and faithfulness. Help us to grow in our faith by surrendering our struggles to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thought for the day: I can grow in my faith by trusting God with my concerns.

—Doreen Alvarez, Florida