Sometimes things happen that you can't control or predict. Anxiety happens when you spend time stressing out over them. Whether you're anxious about a deadline, anxious about a physical or emotional problem, or chronically plagued by exaggerated worry for no reason, you're not alone. Even if you can't imagine it, God has an overflow of hope stored up for those who--in the midst of chaos--stop long enough to hear His voice.

Romans 15:13 is a prayer from the Apostle Paul to some Christians in Rome, but if you listen, you can hear God's voice speaking to you. Paul carefully chooses his words as he mentions "the God of hope." Did you catch that? Hope is in God's nature. But Paul doesn't ask God to simply take away their anxiety. Could God take it away? Of course, but he knew the Romans would be back in the same boat if they didn't change their thinking. Instead, he asked God to fill them "with all joy and peace" because when you're truly filled with joy and peace, there's no room for anxiety.

It's still not quite that simple. God could've plugged the Romans into His endless supply of you and peace, topped off their spiritual tanks, and left absolutely no room for anxiety to hide. But God knew that if they didn't change their mental habits, then joy and peace would eventually give way to anxiety. So, He required one thing before unleashing the joy and peace of Heaven. The next part of that sentence says "as you trust in Him".

Do you see it now? Trust is the key to the door that's holding back an anxiety-shattering flood of peace and joy. Do you trust God? Not just superficial, lip-service trust--but the kind of trust that allows you to take your hands off whatever you're grasping tightly.

Is trust a magic trick? No. There is no magic trick that can instantly remove all traces of deeply rooted biological anxiety. But God is still trustworthy. And trusting in Him still leads your mind and spirit to healing. He can be the Rock you stand on and cling to as you continue to fight anxiety's grasp on your body.

God is worthy of our deepest trust. When you trust Him, He fills you with so much joy and peace that you literally overflow with hope. You might have no idea how that feels, and it might be really tough to trust God. But the essence of faith is stepping out and taking a chance when you don't fully know what will happen next.

Can you find the courage to take your hands off of those things you're grasping and trust God today?

Let's pray:
Romans 15:13--I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen!