God Truly Works in Mysterious Ways
I was touched when Dr. Benny Barbas (the new chapter head of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals) and his wife Karen shared a story that delved into how God works in mysterious ways.
The sharing took place last January at Hotel Pier Cuatro, and their story was a fitting opener for 2024. Their story was largely about the challenges that they faced in the midst of the pandemic, and I found myself in awe of God’s kindness, compassion, and mercy.
Truly, when we think that there’s no solution to our problems, miracles happen. God is in control of everything and is on top of everything.
Philippians 4:6 reminds us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I am so thankful to the Lord that
He has given me the grace to anchor my trust and faith in Him – especially during the pandemic. I know some friends who struggled with anxiety and worry over the many uncertainties that time.
I do confess that my weapon in dealing with those uncertainties was my rosary. I brought it with me wherever I went, day or night. I may have been alone at times, but was aware that the Lord was with me all the time.
I’d tell myself, “If God is with you, no one can be against you.” This was and still is my mantra.
theblazingcenter.com reminds us that “To be anxious for nothing means to not be weighed down by the cares of the world. It’s a command from God to not allow anything to steal our peace or joy.”
“This doesn’t mean that we will never experience negative emotions or that life will be perfect. It means that we can trust God with whatever comes our way and find strength in Him during difficult times.”
One may ask, “Why do we get anxious?” or “When we are anxious?” The site jots this down in response: “It’s because we are trying to control the outcome of a situation. We worry about what could happen instead of trusting God and His perfect plan for our lives.”
Being needlessly anxious can lead to feelings of inadequacy, fear, and stress. But when we surrender our worrying to God, He gives us peace in return.
In the Bible, Psalms 55:22 says: “Give your worries to the Lord, and He will take care of you”. This doesn’t mean that our problems will not go away, but it does mean that God will give us strength to deal with them, and that our anxiety will be for nothing.
Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have against anxiety. When we pray, we are talking to God. We can tell Him our fears and concerns. We can ask Him for His help. We can also thank Him for His many blessings.
Therefore, “do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34).