Be Anxious For Nothing

Waking up this morning, I had this scripture memory song already playing in my head.

When I first became a “Born Again with God’s Spirit” Christian God did something very special to and for me. During a worship service at a White Dove Fellowship in New Orleans, as we were singing all of a sudden my left ear felt really warm. I looked over my left shoulder to see what was going on, nothing. I started singing along with the worship song again, but again my left ear suddenly felt really warm. I looked over my left shoulder again to see if someone was causing it but again, nothing. I joined the worship and praise again and listened to Pastor Mike’s sermon without any other unusual things happening.

But when I got into my Chevy S10 and began to listen to one of the 19 new cassette music tapes I had just received from joining a music club, all of a sudden it didn’t sound good. On my seat was a Christian worship cassette my sister had given me. I had tried to listen to it a couple times but it wasn’t my style. I was deeply into country and what is now known as classic rock, before it was classic rock.

I swapped out the cassette playing and put in the one my sister gave me and from start to finish it sounded so beautiful. In fact I cried listening to most of it during my hour drive home. I was like a cleansing of my soul was taking place as tears washed away guilt and shame for my past sinful life, flooding it with God’s love. Since then, after God did this special thing to my ears, I have loved worship and praise music and listening to sermons and bible teaching. The “God With Us” cassette was one of my first in my new collection of music.

For the past couple of months I have been getting my garden plots ready and planting all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Making raised beds and trellises has occupied a lot of my thoughts and if I didn’t combat them, they would take dominance in my mind. I have to tell myself at times, “be anxious for nothing.” For the past week or so that thought comes up often as the time of seed planting is really near and maybe that’s why the words of “Be Strong And Take Courage” were playing in my head this morning,

Be strong and take courage
Do not fear or be dismayed
For the Lord will go before you
And His light will show the way
Be strong and take courage
Do not fear or be dismayed
For the one who lives within you
Will be strong in you today
Why don’ you give him all of your fears
Why don’t you let him wipe all of your tears
He knows, He’s been through pain before
And He knows all that you’ve been looking for
So, be strong and take courage

Then the 1st scripture of the day I read this morning said, https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.94.19.KJV

I don’t know how your Bible study goes but sometimes I read a Bible verse and I want to read the commentaries on it to see if those respected men of God understood the verse as the newer translations portray it.

The newer translation in the pic says, “Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed my down and OVERWHELMED ME WITH DELIGHT.” So I read a few commentaries on this verse and this is what I found, I think they agree,

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul – The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “In the multitude of my griefs within me,” etc. DeWette renders it, “Bei meinen vielen Sorgen,” “in my many cares.” The Hebrew word, however, properly means “thoughts;” and the idea seems to be that in the great number of thoughts which passed through his mind, so many of them perplexing, anxious, burdensome – so many of them vain and profitless – so many of them that seemed to come and go without any aim or object, there was one class that gave him comfort. They were those which pertained to God. In those thoughts he found calmness and peace. However much he might be disturbed by other thoughts, yet here he found rest and peace. In God – in his character, in his law, in his government – he had an unfailing source of consolation; and whatever trouble he might have from the cares of life, and from the evil imaginings in his own mind, yet here his soul found repose.
God was an unfailing refuge; and meditation on him and his perfections made the mind calm. How many thoughts pass through our minds in a single day or a single hour! Who can tell from where they come, or by what laws they are linked together! How many of them seem to have no connection with any that went before! How many of them seem to be thrown into our minds when we would avoid them! How many are vain and frivolous; how many are skeptical; how many are polluted and polluting! How many come into the mind which we would not for worlds disclose to our best friends! How few of us would walk abroad if we were conscious that all whom we meet could look into our bosoms, and see all that is passing there! What a consolation it is to us that they cannot see it! What a world of confusion and blushes would this be if, in the streets of a crowded city, or when man meets his fellow man anywhere, all that is in his bosom were known! And yet, in this multitude of thoughts – so empty, so foolish, so sinful, so vexing, so skeptical, so polluting – there are others – there are thoughts of God, of Christ, of heaven, of hope, of faith, of love, of benevolence; thoughts within us, when the divine promises come to the heart, and the prospect of heaven warms the soul. These give “comfort;” these fill the soul with “delight.” Happy he who can find in his bosom, amidst the multitude of thoughts within him, those which pertain to God; to a higher life; to heaven!

If anyone wants to be honest, they will admit that at times all sorts of “crazy” thoughts pass through our minds. Just think of those that come to nest when you are in prayer. Thoughts so unrelated to the focus of your prayers try to take dominance of your mind. The Apostle Paul told us what to do with these “oddball” thoughts,

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Yesterday morning I read something and had to read it again. I then googled it because it’s something we really need to understand fully and become second nature in us,

The armour is for the battle of prayer. The armour is not to fight in, but to shield us while we pray. Prayer is the battle.
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

You see if we are living a real Christian life according to the Bible, prayer isn’t something we do at the start, end or both of our day. The Bible tells us,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Throughout our day, God should be a prevailing thought and consideration. As I plant, weed, shovel and work in my yard God is in my mind. “Father please bless my plants and cause them to prosper as my soul prospers according to your Word.” Father thank you for sustaining my health and strength to accomplish these tasks.” Father thank you for the understanding and wisdom you give me to build and do the things I am able to do.” Mixed in with those wholesome thoughts, the “crazy and oddball” thoughts do come but I rebuke and cast them down as Paul said to do. The very soft spoken Pastor Steven Kaung has a saying, “Thoughts, like birds will fly through your head but don’t let them build a nest there.”

Our mind is the battle ground for our peace and joy in the LORD. Satan tries many thoughts, some may not even be bad ones to dominate our mind if possible. If you make a habit of meditating on the Word of God, His Word becomes a vital part of the armour. Scripture memory songs get deep into our hearts if we let them. As I began to read the devotional containing the quote by Oswald Chambers, the Bible verse of Psalm 3:1-4 in it instantly brought a scripture memory song to mind.

I hope these thoughts, the “good kind” on how to “Be Anxious For Nothing” and how to let it become second nature in you if you aren’t already doing this, helps you to find the “Soothing Comfort of God’s presence that Calms Down and Overwhelms With DELIGHT.”

Philippians 4:6-8 
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.