God speaks some of the most beautiful words to anxious people. I don’t know where I read that, but it has stuck with me.
Our text from Sunday took us to some of those beautiful words in Jesus’ otherwise peculiar command: “look at the birds” (Matt. 6:24). Birds are a reminder that God values us. If he feeds them, how much more will he care for us! That’s a good argument, and it’s put in a way that changes how we look at things. It literally changes what we are look at. Birds are one of God’s answers for our anxious hearts.
You may be wrestling with anxiety right now. If you’re not, you probably know someone in our church who is. If so, your words are one way God may gladden their heart this week. “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad” (Prov. 12:25).
Anxiety is not an easy thing to understand, but it’s worth the work. Here are some resources to help you mine the Scriptures for more of God’s beautiful words for anxious hearts. These are in order by length.
- Overcoming Anxiety: Relief for Worried People, by David Powlison, is a short pamphlet published by New Growth Press in their immensely helpful series of minibooks.
- Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace, by Paul Tautges, is one volume in an excellent series of 30-day devotionals for thoughtful biblical counsel on a variety of issues.
- A Small Book for the Anxious Heart, by Ed Welch, includes 50 short reflections for 50 days of meditations on God, including questions for reflection.
- When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety, by Ed Welch, a workbook on the topic of anxiety.
- Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest, by Ed Welch, is more of a studied treatment of the topic. If you are a reader or working to grow as a disciple-maker, take up and read. If you’re willing to invest, you could also check out the conference, Running Scared, based on the themes of this book.
Any of these resources would be something you could take up alone or with a friend in our church. If you weren’t able to join us, listen to Sunday’s sermon, “Look at the Birds: Seeking the Kingdom in an Age of Anxiety.” However you put this Sunday’s sermon to work, remember the God who cares for you and who stands ready to carry your anxieties (1Pet. 5:7).
