Psalm 94:19 - More Great Treatment for Anxiety and Worry.
Psalm 94:19 (NKJV) In the multitude of my
anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19 (ESV) When the cares of my heart
are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
COMMENTARY PEARL
My husband, Gene, and I had just returned
from Slovakia where we'd helped host an
English-learning evangelistic family camp. We'd come home
tired, and jetlag added to our fatigue. So did
thinking about our upcoming schedule. It included
hosting evening informational meetings for our
ministry, traveling to Bible colleges to engage with
students seeking mission opportunities, and speaking
at retreats and conferences. I also anticipated
helping my mom for a week
Taking a break before hitting that
schedule seemed necessary, so we prepared our boat
and launched out. Several days of sunshine and
soft breezes seemed the perfect antidote for our
weary bodies and souls.
One morning Gene put up the sails and set
the steering to autopilot I poured two cups of
hot chocolate. We sipped our drinks and marveled
at the beauty of water and mountains. Suddenly
a fin surfaced about 100 feet away. An orca
whale!
The creature swam straight toward us. A
second fin appeared. And a third. Within seconds, a
pod of perhaps thirty orcas surrounded us. They
swam in front of the boat, under it, and then one
leaped out of the water behind us and landed with a
giant splash.
The chances of encountering an orca pod
in that vast expanse of water were slim. Could
it be that Jesus whispered to the whales and
sent them to swim across our path?
Jesus knows when we need encouragement,
and He's masterful at sending it our way. His
consolations always come through His Word. But sometimes
they come as an unexpected phone call or email, a
favorite song, or a hug. They come in the form of a
baby's giggle, a bird's trill, and a rose's scent.
Sometimes they even show up as a pod of orca whales.
Grace Fox
Faith Step: Identify one consolation by
which Jesus has cheered your soul recently.
[Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Divine Comfort
I am sad this morning. A friend of mine
was given the news this week that she has
cancer. It is quite severe, and at this time, the
prognosis is uncertain. She and her husband have two
young children and are both in their middle to
late thirties. Tragic to say the least!
When we hear news like this, how should
we respond? My first response was to call the
husband, who has worked for us since he was seventeen
years old. Then I started praying, and have been
doing so several times a day. Anytime they come to
my heart - and that is frequently - I pray! I
pray for God's divine comfort and His grace to
take over in this situation. I pray for healing
(preferably a miracle), right doctors, accurate
diagnosis, and wisdom for the family in making
decisions. I offer to do anything I can to help,
although I know that there is not much I can do
except "be there."
I made a promise that we would be there
for them all the way through the journey, and I
think that means more to people than we may
comprehend. We don't have to feel the pressure to give
answers or advice that we don't have. We help people
who are hurting immensely when we don't
"forget them in their pain, especially if what they
are going through takes a while to get through.
God's Word teaches that we are more than
conquerors (see Romans 8:37), and I believe that is
true. To me, it means that we can know even before
difficulty begins that in the end, we will have the
victory, and God will comfort us all the way through
it. He will enable us, strengthen us, and hold
us every step of the way. Yes, we cry, we feel
unimaginable pain, and we may get confused and ask
questions that can't be answered at the time, but
through it all, God is there, giving us assurance
that we are loved!
Father, please comfort all the people who
are hurting today. You are the one who comforts
us in our affliction, and we trust You to give
us grace and more grace to stand firm, even in
the midst of tragedy. [My Time with God by Joyce
Meyer]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Stable Hope
If you have doubts, focus on a truth from
God's Word. Hope in him; nothing is more stable or
comforting. Even when we have doubts, God can give us
renewed hope and joy to keep moving forward. [The
Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional] When doubts fill
your mind, find comfort, hope and joy in God via
Prayer, the Bible, and Christian fellowship and
service.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
When anxiety is great within you, turn to
Me for consolation. Other words for
"consolation" are comfort, compassion, empathy, help,
encouragement, reassurance, and relief. I gladly provide
all of this - and much more - for My children.
Yet your natural tendency when you're feeling
anxious is to focus on yourself or your problems.
The more you do this, the more you forget about
Me and all the help I can supply. This worldly
focus only increases your anxiety! Let the
discomfort you feel at such times alert you to your
neglect of Me. Whisper My Name, and invite Me into
your difficulties.
Seek My Face, finding comfort in My
compassion and empathy. Look to Me for encouragement,
reassurance, and help. I know all about your problems,
and I also know the best way to deal with them.
As you relax in My loving Presence, I
strengthen you and provide relief from your anxiety. I
reassure you that nothing in all creation can
separate you from My Love. My consolation is full of
blessings, beloved; it brings Joy to your soul. (Psa.
94:19; 27:8; Rom. 8:38, 39) [Jesus Always by Sarah
Young]
Let My consolation - My comfort - bring
Joy to your soul. When anxiety is welling up
within you, come to Me and pour out your heart.
Then sit quietly in My Presence while I comfort
you, helping you see things from My perspective.
I remind you of your heavenly destination, for
you are indeed on your way to Glory! I infuse My
Joy and Peace into your heart, mind, and soul.
When you are joyful, this changes the way
you view the world around you. Even though you
see much darkness, you can also see the Light of
My Presence continuing to shine. Moreover, the
Joy in your soul gives you buoyancy, enabling
you to rise above the countless problems in your
life. Once you have gained this perspective, you
will discover that you can comfort others in the
midst of their troubles. They will find in you the
consolation that you have found in Me. Thus your Joy
becomes contagious, "infecting" those around you
with Joy in their souls! (Psa. 94:19; 62:8; 2Co.
1:3, 4) [Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Psalm 94:19 - Great Treatment for Anxiety
and Worry.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150427-2133.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
