Remembering the Promises of God

“This is the most overwhelmed I’ve ever felt in my life” – Michael Phelps

34 years old. 28 Olympic medals. Multiple world records. Living for years in the pressure cooker of the highest performance expectations imaginable with the entire world watching. Yet it is COVID-19 that presents the ultimate competitor with his greatest emotional challenge.

He is not alone. Reports from the American Medical Association show an 18% increase nationwide in prescriptions for anti-depression/anxiety and sleep-aid drugs since the beginning of the pandemic. Calls to mental health hotlines in Tennessee have spiked 800% since February. In one recent 48-hour period in Knox County alone, nine people took their own lives.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John 14:27 (NLT)

The atmosphere in Heaven is totally void of stress, anxiety, and fear. It is complete joy and shalom peace. We believers carry that heavenly atmosphere through the Spirit who now lives within us. Jesus said he was leaving us with a great gift. Like any gift from a loved one, it must be opened and used to be fully enjoyed. It’s not just the thought that counts. It’s the action upon receiving that makes it real.

How do we draw upon the peace within to calm the storms that rise in our thoughts and emotions? The POWER of prayer and the PROMISES of God’s Word. These are our weapons and our sure defense against fear.  We talk to the Father and honestly express to Him what we are feeling. We turn to the Word to hear what the Spirit is saying to us about our fear and God’s faithfulness. We do this early in the morning, and we continue throughout the day, whenever the unrest begins to stir.

We find ourselves in the home stretch toward Pentecost Sunday in the Global Days of Prayer. These are the days of an open Heaven. God’s ear is bent toward His people, and His heart is full of Mercy, Grace, and Love. He understands what you are going through. He is ready to race to your aid against all that assails you. Call on Him. Accept the gift that Jesus left you. Peace of mind and heart, free from worry and fear belongs to YOU!