How to Handle our Worries

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. -  1 Peter 5:6-7

In the 17th century, German pastor Paul Gerhardt and his family were forced to flee their home during the Thirty Years War. One night as they stayed in a small village inn, homeless and afraid, his wife broke down crying. Then, Gerhardt too went out in the garden and wept himself.

At that time, he felt the Lord’s presence anew. Taking his pen, he wrote the famous hymn, “Give to the Winds Thy Fears” that has since given comfort to many. The hymn begins,

Give to the winds thy fears,
 Hope and be undismayed.
 God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
 God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves and clouds and storms,
 He gently clears thy way;
 Wait thou His time; so shall this night
 Soon end in joyous day.

That night, Gerhardt was impressed with a real and living truth: God often makes His presence known most clearly in our darkest hours. He uses our pain and our sorrow to show us that He is our only source of strength.

Perhaps today, you’re facing a trial of loneliness or pain—a trial that maybe you think is hopeless. But put yourself in God’s hands, wait for His timing, and trust that at the end of your night will come a joyous day!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and tell God your worries, fears, and cares. Entrust them to Him and wait for His perfect plan to unfold.

Questions for Thought

What worries and cares are heavy on your heart today?

What would it look like to give those worries and cares to God and trust in His plan for you?