June 21, 2018
Facing the Unknown with God’s Promises
Elisa Pulliam
Today’s Truth
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done (Philippians 4:6, NLT).
Friend to Friend
It's amazing how hard we have to work at not letting our emotions trump the truth. It’s especially hard when you receive a phone call from the doctor’s office and the sweet voice on the other end of the line says, “Ma’am, we need you to come back in and have another scan done.”
I was ready to run straight to the office that moment. Unfortunately, their next appointment was a week and a half away, which left me with ten whole days of wondering what the results would be.
Did I have cancer?
Was this my turn?
I probably do, since it's in my family.
I know this is going to be me.
Oh, God . . .
Our thoughts left unchecked can spiral instantly and produce crippling anxiety.
I knew that could happen to me, and I couldn’t walk this road alone. So as soon as I hung up the phone, I sent out prayer requests to my friends, and immediately, they started preaching truth to my soul.
God is faithful.
He will provide, no matter the results.
He can heal here on earth.
Sometimes, He heals in heaven.
He is my manna.
I release this to You, Lord.
For ten days, I practiced what I preach all the time to my coaching clients. I took captive my thoughts and made them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). In the middle of the night, when I woke up with anxiety, I recounted God’s Word in the face of fear, think of the pattern Paul provides for us in Philippians:
Cast all your anxiety on Him.
Tell Him what you need.
Thank Him for all He has already done.
By time the appointment came, my soul was steadfast on God’s faithfulness, no matter the outcome. I was calm right through the first scan. And the one when they called me back and contorted my body for another look. But the time that passed between the sonogram and the call for the doctor was just long enough for my mind to go AWOL.
One thought chased after another as fear twisted truth with lies from the devil’s arsenal.
My wet eyes turned into streaming tears and my chest heaved with sobs as I became desperate to catch my breath. But there was something about the rhythm of my cries that interrupted my thoughts, and I found myself wondering, “What on earth are you crying about girl, you know nothing more now than you did yesterday when you were preaching truth to your soul. Put your armor back on already.”
And with that, I went back to what I already knew:
God, You’ve got this.
You've got me in Your care and protection.
No matter the results, You are still sovereign.
You've got all that I need.
Perfect peace that passes all understanding began to flood my body again, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. The doctor walked in with a smile on her face.
“You're clear, come back for a six-month re-check."
When I told this story to a friend, she said, "You must have felt like you got a new lease on life." All I can think is that I already got that, years ago, when I gave my life to Him. This is all just bonus time, made sweeter by living with His peace in the midst of the chaos we can’t ever really control.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I am so grateful that when I don’t know what lies ahead, You do. You know everything about me. You know everything about my life. You do not remove Your hand from me, even when I don’t understand what is going on. Please, God, guard my heart and mind with Your truth. Motivate me to get into Your Word so that the Holy Spirit may draw upon it whenever I find myself anxious and worried about the future.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
When you face the unknown, how do you respond? Do you panic and worry? How can you begin the habit of preaching truth to your soul by praying through God’s Word?
More from the Girlfriends
Longing to see God’s plans and purposes for your life with a fresh perspective? Elisa is about the business of doing just that in her devotional book, Unblinded Faith: Gaining Spiritual Sight Through Believing God’s Word. Join her on a 90-day journey through the Scriptures to discover how embracing the Truth will fill you with unshakable hope.
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