Look to Him
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. – Hebrews 12:3 NKJV.
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. – Isaiah 26:3 NKJV.
An interesting study has been published in the Liver Transplantation Journal. In the study, it was found that those who believe in God survive the transplantation of a liver better than those who do not believe in God. Dr. Franco Bonaguidi led the study, which found that those patients who “sought God’s help had a more prolonged post transplant survival than patients with low religiosity.”
There is a woman in a church I was a pastor of who had a liver transplant many years ago now. She was teaching a Sunday School class and was our prayer coordinator. She was on the waiting list for some time, and the actual procedure was many hours in length. Since then, she must take care of her health, being careful to always take her medications properly, and being careful about what she eats and drinks. I cannot imagine facing something like that, going through something like that, and then living with it, without leaning heavily on my God.
No wonder the survival rate for transplant patients is not as good for those who do not believe in God. How can people go through life without God? I know that I need Him every day. I need his strength, His peace, His guidance, His wisdom for everything in my life. God will give you His peace if you do what? If you let Him have your anxiety, if you let Him have your cares. How can you do that? Through prayer. The apostle Paul writes, “…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Then, “the peace of God, which surpasses (passeth – KJV) all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
One more thing is necessary. We must let go of our cares, our worries, our anxieties; and cast them upon, place them upon the Lord. Part of what is involved in doing so is that after we have prayed, we do not continue to dwell upon our problem, or whatever has been causing our anxiety. Instead, we focus upon our Lord Jesus. We cease to worry, by instead thinking about how great is, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, when the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and of fire at night (Exodus 13:21). They learned to follow, to look to that pillar of cloud or fire, as God led them from place to place. We must “consider Him,” look to Him, as we go through each day; and then we will not “become weary and discouraged.”
(How can people go through life without God? I know that I need Him every day.)