Guest Devotional by Stacey Russ

I’ve always been a worrier. It’s just part of my genetic makeup to think about every “what if scenario” and how to avoid any potential obstacles that could be thrown in my path. As if my worrying and planning would place a barrier of protection around myself and my family. This thoughtful approach to life would surely be rewarded with calm waters and smooth sailing, right? Not!

Jeremiah 17:5
"This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future... But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

I have spent a lifetime of loving God and worshiping Him, but have been missing the point all along. My worrying means that I have been relying on my own strength and in doing so, I am not fully trusting in His plan to completely take care of all my needs. How can I expect his blessings when I am constantly pushing Him out of the driver’s seat? Every time I take back that control, I am saying that my God is not big enough to handle it all. Am I that arrogant to think that through my worry and planning, I will come up with a better way?

Isaiah 40:22
“God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!... ‘To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal’? asks the Holy One. ‘Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?’ He brings them out like an army, on after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”

I’ve always heard that worrying is a sin, but I never truly understood how my worrying is truly offensive to God. No one compares to Him and no one is equal to Him. He is my all powerful, supernatural protector and there’s nothing he can’t provide! He’s got a plan in mind and while I may not see it all mapped out; my faith needs to trust that He can get me to the right destination.