How to Handle Anxiety.

A western Norway fjord; Provided by Arnold Dalene.

I try to read a devotional from the Bible daily. Yesterday I read a portion which could apply to anyone with prostate cancer or any other stress-inducing condition. The Old Testament book of Jeremiah 17 :verses 7-8 state as follows. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust IS the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” One can interpret Biblical passages several ways. Some people read them as a personal preference asking “what do these words mean to me?” But a better approach would be to evaluate the words in terms of “what is God actually saying?” Having prostate cancer can often be likened to “turning up the heat on our lives” or experiencing a time of personal drought and anxiety. We need to remember however that God can use everything in our lives including cancer to point people to Him, to glorify Himself, to provide fulfillment and purpose to our own lives and in short, “to bear fruit”. So what is God actually promising in the verses above? We will all experience some form of “heat” and “drought” in our lives. But first our trust should be IN the Lord, His Word, His nature, His character and His plans. Secondly, our needs will be met (green leaves and watered roots) if we are so grounded. Next we need not be anxious about any of these situations. Finally, our life circumstances will not be wasted but instead be bearing wonderful and lasting fruit in our relationship with the Lord and with those around us.

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