- 1 Peter 5:7 Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.
Carrying your worries, stress, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humilty, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let others in His family help you. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to Him in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your worries is active, not passive. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.
- Isaiah 41:10 Do not be afraid—I am with you! I am your God—let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you.
We need not fear, because (1) God's presence is with us ("I AM with you"), (2) God has established a relationship with us ("I AM your God"), and (3) God's assurance of strength, help, and victory over sin and death is certain.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
In a culture filled with moral depravity and pressures, Paul gives strong encouragement to the Corinthians about temptation. He says: (1) wrong desires and temptations happen to everyone, so don't feel you've been singled out; (2) others have resisted temptation, and so can you; (3) any temptation can be resisted, because God will help you resist it.
God helps you resist temptation by helping you (1) recognize those people and situations that give you trouble, (2) run from anything you know is wrong, (3) choose to do only what is right, (4) pray for God's help, and (5) seek friends who love God and can offer help when you are tempted
Running from a tempting situation is your first step to victory (see 2 Timothy 2:22)
- Romans 10:17 The Message (MSG) 14-17 But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims: A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.
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