Proverbs 16:3 is similar: "Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established."
I looked up the word "commit." It's the Hebrew "galal," meaning to roll away/down/together.
I love that! These nagging anxieties that mount up like stones. Plunk. Then another, plunk. These unavoidable burdens that clump down into the soul and drag along the bottom.
I am trying to practice rolling them onto the Lord. It is so easy to ignore my worries, let the gnawing-away at my peace linger. Last year (I probably have said this before), I struggled with praying, partly because I had SO MANY anxieties and moments of failure and cares built up--I had no strength to pull them out one by one and give them to the Lord in prayer. I would say, "Here they are, Lord. Help me," but I was still shoulder-bearing undefinable, shadowy burdens. They weren't rolling over.
So right now, in this end of summer, beginning of the school year season, I am practicing rolling those worries over to the Lord and not carrying them with me throughout the day. He tells us to. Isn't that amazing? He tells us to be anxious for nothing but to let our request be made known to Him. He tells us to cast all our care on Him because He cares for us. We are encouraged to make Him our rock, our defense, our water in a thirsty land.
"From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Ps. 61:2)
He doesn't want us to feel like we have the responsibility to carry around these weights with us throughout the day. Do you ever feel like that? As if carrying around the worry is a responsible activity? That it is making a difference? That's not Truth. Truth is that we are to roll our worries onto Him, and let Him deal with them.
Hi! While it feels odd to comment on your blog out of the blue, here goes. I have actually been reading "regularly" for a couple years, but since I don't have internet where I live, this means that every couple months, one of the items on my long "Internet To-do List" while in the city, is *save all new posts from 6 favorite blogs*, which includes LadyMsDistractions.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, despite the favorite status, *comment on 6 blogs I read* was one item on the to-do list that never happened before leaving the land of internet accessibility.
So, just wanted to let you know (finally!) that I have been encouraged by your journey, your transparency and the way you look to God, no matter what emotions or circumstances you are dealing with. Thank you for faithfully pointing your readers to Him.
I've also found a few free e-books from authors you reviewed, so thanks for the ideas for some fun fiction. And your 31 Day Blogging Challenge series motivated me to attempt a series on my blog, even though it has been weekly (most of the time) and looks like it will be finished at about 20 posts. But I really enjoyed your series and really appreciated the "series idea" to focus my blogging on one topic for awhile.
And now we suddenly have Wi-Fi here so I can actually read your posts right away, instead of in 2-3 month batches! Yay! Perhaps I shall even comment once in a while. :) But this comment is definitely long enough. :)
Anyway, hope your school year is off to a good start! Stay strong in the Lord!
Thank you so much, Lettie! That means a lot. By the way, the 31 day challenge is up again, all during the month of October. I'm not doing it this year (obviously :-P), but others are!
ReplyDeletelater!