Jeremiah 17:8 – He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.

Anxiety may be king in our day. Its influence is inescapable, as news outlets, social medias, movies, friends, stock markets, employers/employees, advertisements, and doctors all weave “what ifs?” through their messages. It impacts our decisions, from health and wealth, to the family and future. Is oppresses our souls, both by crushing us and by drawing us to find relief in drugs, “mindfulness”, therapies, yoga, self-help, self-esteem, psychics, crystals, golf, puppies, and screen time. 

There is nothing new about worry and anxiety, in fact since Genesis chapter 3 humankind has wrestled through their reaction to the unknown…

1 Samuel 10:2 – Kish was worried about his son Saul’s whereabouts.

Psalms 38:18 – The psalmist is anxious over his own sin and its damages.

Jeremiah 38:19 – King Zedekiah was worried about who would defect from him.

Daniel 2:3 – King Nebuchadnezzar was anxious over his dreams.

Luke 10:41 – Martha is worried about the state of her house and reputation.

Sin enters the picture when our reaction to the unknown causes us to doubt of God. Sinful worry confesses that the unknown is so great and grand it outweighs, outclasses, and outshines God. Thus, fear of the unknown dethrones the fear of the Lord.

So, should the Christian be unconcerned about unknowns? No, of course not. Godly wisdom helps the Christian work through health, safety, or familial unknowns; the unknowns circling personal sin and its consequences; the unknowns of a shifting social, political, financial, or hostile situations; the unknowns of what the future holds; or the day to day unknowns like if the house is presentable and dinner is edible… life’s unknowns deserve attention but the Christian must not let worry and anxiety be king.

One of the boldest commands in the Bible is given in Philippians 4:6 – “Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” What a stunningly simple and absolute command. Instead of worry or anxiety God commands you to petition Him with thanksgiving. Stop, take a moment and contemplate this command, ask yourself, “How am I doing with worry? How am I doing combatting anxiety with thankful petition?” Thankfully, anxiety’s stifling presence dissipates in light of God’s sovereign faithfulness over all things. God’s faithfulness provides certainty in the face of unknowns.

Take a look now at the second half of Philippians 4:6, thankfulness is your greatest relief to doubt-driven anxiety. What better way to reorient your devotion from loss to the Lord than to recall the certainty and faithfulness of God. Is not thankfulness our very first response to God’s enduring faithfulness? Thus recalling and praising God for His faithfulness is key to working through any unknown. Think of who He is. Think on what He has done. Think on His reasons for doing it all. Think on His promises, both fulfilled and soon to be fulfilled. We may suffer from the weight of the unknown but God, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, certainly does not. So, as the choking fog of doubt rolls through your mind and heart, claiming every uncertainty as its own, turn to thankfulness in prayer to cast out fear and doubt.