SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE
Psalm 34:7 A Scripture devotional can be so powerful—but where do we begin? Getting started reading the Bible is tricky… so we’ve compiled verse reflections like this one with a Bible verse for today to help us connect with God in everyday moments.
Asking God for Help with Anxiety
We know that it’s never as simple as “bring your anxiety to Jesus and it’ll all be okay.” But we do believe through asking God for help with anxiety, he’ll provide support—by giving us a sense of peace, bringing a trusted friend we can talk with, or using the expertise of a counselor/therapist to help us cope. His provision doesn’t always look how we might expect it, but his presence is there and he provides hope for anxiety.
Check out this short reflection from Hilary, as she shares about anxiety, Psalm 34, and HOPE.
Scripture: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
Written by Hilary Frank
“You have anxiety. You’ll need to be put on anxiety medication and see a counselor.” Words a kid would never expect to hear, but that I heard loud and clear as a fifth grader. I was eventually okay again, all the way until a year out of college. Then anxiety struck again with a vengeance.
We see seasons that could have ignited anxiousness in David’s story. It starts in 1 Samuel 17, when David defeated a giant named Goliath. News about his victory and name spread, which provoked jealousy from King Saul. Saul eventually made it his mission to kill David so he wouldn’t become king.
David knew Saul’s plans, and spent a solid portion of his life fleeing from him, but he also wrote Psalm 34, and declared this statement of trust that God would be his deliverer.
As we experience seasons of anxiety, it’s easy to believe it will never end. But actually, we can believe differently.
Why It Matters
The enemy wants us running out of control, seeking safety from unhealthy self-medication, distraction, or other short-term fixes, and distancing ourselves from God. In times of anxiety, we can allow the anxious thoughts to cause us to go crazy, or, we can pray for God’s peace and trust Him to guide and overcome our battle. We can flee—raising our flag, giving up hope, and dismissing any person or thing that could help us—or we can pause and allow God to do his work right where we are. We can combat our anxious thoughts with his promises of peace, direction, and hope.
Do you ever need some good Bible verses to reflect on? We’ve pulled a few of our favorites for our verse reflections that work as short, simple devotions to better connect with God in the everyday moments. See this link to check them out!