When Anxiety Lurks

When trouble is obvious and overwhelming, we are quick to call for help. How about when you have a sense of impending trouble… when anxiety lurks beneath you? How do you handle this? How do you cope?

​Psalm 18:4-5 - The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.

The source of anxiety could be varied. For some, relationships bring on the stress. For others, a lack of comfort or provision can instigate the heaviness within. Either way, you can live with gripping anxiety that you cannot control.

It's possible to live for an extended period of time "coping" with anxiety. You try to be brave, but you know that something is lurking beneath you. Without relief, you might succumb to panic or a deeper depression.

When David found himself in a place of great anxiety, he didn't pretend to be fine. In his distress he cried out to the Lord. You see, living for an extended period of time with anxiety can make anxiety seem normal. You begin to accept this as a part of who you are. You can stop believing that God would even care to rescue you. Your cries become muffled as unbelief sets in.

But, look at the response of your Father God. In Psalm 18 read how your Father rushes to rescue you when he hears your cry. The Father splits the heavens and comes down. He draws you out of deep waters. He leads you to a place of safety. Your Father rescues you, because he delights in you. Psalm 18:16-19

Do not suffer in silence. Cry out to your Father in your moment of anxiety. Keep calling out. He is listening. He is coming to rescue you.