The Golden Nugget: The world is a scary place to live. But God invites us to cast our anxieties on him.

Daily Verse: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” —2 Corinthians 4:8–10

Daily Message: 
Christians are not immune to hardship. The authentic Christian life is lived in the same world of crime, corruption, violence, and abuse as are the lives of those of other faiths. The scary things of this world could weaken the Christian; heavy burdens, emotional suffering, and eventual despair could bear down on any of us. The frailty of the human experience can bring wretched worry and oppression. It may eventually feel that the cargo of misery is unbearable.

Christians are not invulnerable. But they do have a powerful helper. God is willing—indeed wants—to unburden you of everything that creates anxiety in your life. He wants to endure for you those things that weigh down your heart. He wants to console you with his presence so that you will know unspeakable joy in your life. If God is all-powerful, isn’t he more than capable of relieving your anxieties? He wants you to banish your troubles and cast all your problems on him.

Consider This:

• In what ways do people try to insulate themselves from the troubles of the world?
• How do you respond when you encounter bad things?

Take Action:
Ask God right now to take on the burden of the thing that creates the most anxiety for you. Ask him to show you how to handle it when it tries to create anxiety in the future.