October 27, 2024 Devo

I was telling someone recently about the fear of flying I used to have. After a really bad flight several years ago, I would get panic attacks prior to getting on a plane. It went on for a few years. I would go through a prayer ritual when I got on, praying for the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weather, the plane’s mechanical state, other aircraft in our area…you get the picture. I just knew that it would be the one thing I DIDN’T pray for that would bring us down. So I prayed for it ALL. Not that there’s anything wrong with praying. There’s not. But my prayers were out of fear, not faith. And my faith was in my ritual, not my God.
Then one day I got on a plane, and just as I started the ritual, God brought our passage today to my mind. And it hit me. All the worry in the world would not keep this plane in the sky. It was out of my hands and out of my control. Whether I live or die is in the Lord’s hands. If it IS going to be the last hour of my life, I’d rather spend it enjoying life than spending it in dread. In that holy moment God lifted the weight of worry from my heart. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride!
Jesus’ question today is a good one for all of us to keep close at hand. Think about what you’re worried about today. How will worry enhance your situation? If you’re worried about your health, worry makes you sicker, not healthier. If you’re worried about your job, worry makes a worse employee, not a better one. All of our phobias, all of our fears, and all of our worries only make bad situations worse, and they steal the joy out of enjoying THIS moment that you have right now.
Take a moment today and write down what you’re worried about on a piece of paper. Fold it up and set it somewhere as an offering to God. As you lay it down, tell the Lord that you’re giving HIM your worries for today. Ask Him to lift them from your heart and release them from your mind. Declare before Him that He is your Protector, Provider, Healer, and Friend. Rest in who He is and that He holds you in the palm of His Hand. Don’t let worry steal one more minute from your life. Give your worries to God, and you can sit back and enjoy the ride! That’s God’s Word for you today.