I love the book of Psalms, because in that book I find so much encouragement for daily life. I can so often relate to the prayers and the cries of the psalmists, and because of this, it has been my favorite book of the Bible.
Yesterday, I read Psalm 147. This Psalm in particular has been a favorite of mine, and one that I have read many times. I love verses 3-5:
"He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite."
I read that psalm in the morning, and, throughout the day ,verse 5 kept coming to my mind. I love how God does that.
I've shared before that anxiety has been something which I sometimes battle a lot, and yesterday was one of those days for me. I was finding myself becoming very anxious, and it wasn't even so much because of circumstances, but because of my own thoughts and the dangerous what ifs that sometimes try to take me captive. I found myself wrestling against a lot of anxiety and fear yesterday. I was praying and asking the Lord to help me to trust and to surrender, but still it seemed like such a battle. I'm not sure when it was or how it happened, but suddenly, at one point in the wrestling and praying, that verse from Psalm 147 came to my mind: "Great is the Lord, and mighty in power..." and these words brought so much peace to me. I know the Lord spoke it right to me in answer to my prayer to help me to trust and surrender. As I thought about that verse, I felt peace wash over my mind. The Lord is mighty in power, so why should I be worried about anything? He is all powerful. He is in control. Worry and fear take control when I forget that God is the One in control. Anxiety creeps in when I allow myself to forget that the same God who counts and numbers the stars is also watching over my life. He understands every struggle, every circumstance, every sorrow in life, and He remains mighty in power; sovereign over it all. It's amazing how anxiety ceases when I remember who Jesus is. He is great, and He is mighty in power. I am very thankful for this truth!
