The closer one gets to God, the further away one gets from a spirit of fear. Consider, Sir Isaac Newton. He postulated the Laws of Motion. In the first law, he observed that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and conversely, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. Unless the object is acted upon by a force it tends to remain in motion or at rest. The law applies to the mind in as much as it does an object, for peace and anxiety are states of rest and motion that can be affected by a force. If the human will can be considered a force, then we can affect our own minds either positively or negatively. The prophet Isaiah observed this law well before Newton when he said, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Imagine your favorite spot; it could be a church, in the arms of a loved one, or your favorite scenery. The whole time you are there you are relaxed, but then, you leave and your focus changes. As you head home, your mind starts to drift towards your responsibilities, body aches, and appearance. Suddenly, you become stressed to the point of anxiety. Your mind goes from rest to motion. When you were focused on God, your loved one, or the beauty of your surroundings you were fine. It was not until outside forces began to distract you that your mind began to race, and you became fearful.

Our battle with fear today is the same as Peter’s battle thousands of years ago. If Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. It was not until he stopped looking at Jesus and instead focused on the winds and waves, that he started to sink. The love of God is a force, and the more we seek God’s love, the greater our rest will be. Exercise your faith by seeking God in every circumstance and on every occasion, for His love will free you from worry. In times of uncertainty be certain that you can trust God to make all things work together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

Prayer

Holy Father,

We trust that You are good, and we know that there is nothing to fear. If ever our minds should wander, we trust that like a good shepherd, You will bring us back. Teach us to exercise our faith by pursuing You constantly. Bless You, Lord, for putting our minds at rest.

In Jesus we trust, Amen.

__________

Jonathon McClellan is an award-winning author who often writes devotionals for Cathedral of Hope. In March of 2022, he will release Messages of Hope for adults and The Ant’s Palace for children, each the first of series empowering adults to keep hoping and encouraging children to look beneath the surface to find true riches. Part of the proceeds is going to help Cathedral of Hope programs for the homeless. Learn more Facebook.com/NewSeedsOfHope.