Choose Peace, Not Worry

 Caption of picture: My anxiety is anxious.

By Maria Fontaine                                 Find original article HERE.

 length: 11:45

I would like to talk about the thing that has the potential to damage our faith, drag us down, destroy our peace, destabilize our minds, disrupt our lives, weaken our relationships, and be detrimental to our health. This terrible thing is worry.

There are so many things in this life that might happen to us, to our loved ones or friends that could bring us suffering and sorrow. Whether they are issues in our personal lives or problems in the world at large, it’s dangerous to let those things weigh on us and affect us.

It’s easy to give in to dwelling on what might happen; it’s harder to take the “high road” of casting our cares on the Lord and trusting in Him for the outcomes. But we do have a choice. We can’t deny that tragic or terrible things could happen as long as we live in a fallen world, but we can choose to not allow worry and fear to get a grip on our heart and life. As Mark Twain reportedly put it, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”

Suffering the results of worry and fear about what might happen can be just as bad as going through the actual situations we worry about. As the Bible says, “fear has torment.”1 When you are actually in the midst of struggles and suffering, you have the Lord’s grace, and you can trust in Him to carry you through the hard times. But worry is often focused on the future, and you don’t have the same measure of God’s grace because most of the trouble hasn’t even happened yet and may never happen.

Even if you’re in the habit of worrying, you can change. You can fight back, no matter how long you’ve given in to the enemy’s fears and doubts about things that might happen.

Not so long ago I allowed myself to start worrying about a few things that weren’t huge but seemed pretty big to me. I was losing quite a bit of my hair and I was worrying that pretty soon I’d be bald. I was also worrying that I was behind in my work and I wouldn’t be able to get on top of things again. The enemy saw his opportunity. I was being weakened by these worries, so he began to bombard me with bigger ones, telling me that if these smaller things could happen, then even bigger and more serious troubles could happen too!

However, he underestimated God’s power! The Lord woke me up to where worrying like this could lead. I realized that this was a serious threat to my overall well-being and happiness. It could have a seriously detrimental effect on many other areas of my life and walk with the Lord if it continued! It was starting to weigh me down, and I was struggling.

I had to face the reality that I was going to have to fight. I had to choose to swim or sink, rebuke the enemy’s garbage or be overrun by it. Facing the potential consequences of allowing myself to focus on the worries instead of the truth turned into something wonderful that Satan unintentionally did for me! It so stirred me up and woke me up that I began to fight back.

So what did I do to get rid of worry and replace it with peace?

As I studied and prayed and communed with the Lord on how to break free from worry, the Lord began showing me promises from His Word, attitudes and mindset changes that I needed, questions I needed to ask myself, etc. I had to persevere and at times it was quite a fight, but the Lord didn’t fail to give me the victory.

I’d like to present some of the principles and general thoughts that helped me and that I hope can do the same for you. These are not in any order of importance. They are all important in one way or another. They all helped to strengthen my determination to “choose peace, not worry.”

1. I was going to have to work to break that habit of letting worry creep in. I had to be militant about it.
2. I had to focus on God’s promises. I needed to soak in them, praying them out loud. I needed to take time to think about what they meant and how to apply them to what I was worrying about.
3. God’s Word is powerful when you use it to overcome fear, doubt, and worry.
4. Every time I felt a twinge of worry, I fought to replace it with the truth and promises Jesus has given.
5. There are so many negative things that fear and worry can lead to, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, and I had to remind myself daily that I definitely didn’t want to go there.
6. I’d been working for a long time on improving my health, but the Lord pointed out to me that if I didn’t stop worrying, the stress was going to cause a serious setback. As somebody said, “You should ask yourself if what you’re worrying about is worth losing your health over.”
7. The good news is, we have a choice. We can overcome worry and reconnect with the Lord. In Him we can be freed from worry, stress, and anxiety. I had to be on guard; I had to make a conscious effort to make good choices each day.
8. Faith is what has to rule in our lives. The Bible is full of statements about how we profit from troubles and from tribulation, and these teach us many things, such as perseverance and patience.2 And, as Peter described, the trying of our faith is more precious than gold and will result in praise, honor, and glory.3 So if the Lord allows something difficult to come into our lives, it’s only because it has something good to bring with it. Worrying about it won’t change it. Trusting the Lord for it will bring the maximum good in the shortest possible time.
9. I have to make an intentional effort to let go of my own agenda. I have to leave the timeline and details of my life in God’s hands.
10. I am determined to say, “Dear Jesus, if it’s okay with You, it’s okay with me!”
11. Our faith has to be based on God’s faithfulness to bring us what He knows is going to be best. We can’t base our faith on what we, in our limited understanding, might think is best or what we would like to see in the moment. When we base our faith on Him and His faithfulness, we can come to Him with thanksgiving. I have to refuse to live under the weight of the “what ifs.”
12. The more we trust in God, the less we fear anything else.
13. You cannot stop anything by worrying about it. The only thing you can stop by worrying is the good that God wants to fill your life with.
14. The Lord reminded me that the more I strengthen my faith now in fighting the smaller worries, the stronger I will be in rejecting bigger worries should they come in the future. I will have a habit of choosing faith instead of fear, peace instead of pressure, praise instead of pouting, worship instead of worrying, and following instead of fretting.
15. Another reminder from my precious Jesus, “The closer you stay to Me, the less fear you will have. The more you fix your mind on Me, the sounder your mind will be. The more surrendered you are to Me, the more settled you will be.”
16. Something worth contemplating is how important these three things are—praise, obedience, and faith—and how they all go together. What is the praise factor in ridding yourself of worry? What is the obedience factor in gaining the peace that passes all understanding? Where does faith come in and how do you define that faith?
17. The Lord showed me to read and study the story of King Jehoshaphat when great armies were surrounding him and threatening to destroy him and his people. It’s a wonderful story of how they followed God closely in obedience. They praised God for what He had done and what He was going to do, and they had faith to do things exactly as He instructed them, even though to the natural mind those things must have seemed very silly. It would have been easy to worry, wondering how such puny measures could overcome the powerful armies coming against them. But instead of worrying, they praised the Lord in song.4
18. Worry weakens, surrender strengthens.
19. Everything the Lord showed me pointed me to the fact that I couldn’t give worry any place, not even a little one, in my heart and mind. Here’s something He said to me in prophecy: “Are you going to believe Me or are you going to believe the doubts and the fears of the enemy? Who do you know really loves you and cares for you? Do you think the one called the father of all lies, the one who deals daily in treachery, is going to tell you the truth? No! I, the One who loves you with unfathomable love, am the way, the truth, and the life.”

 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:75

Read by Debra Lee.

---

1 See 1 John 4:18 KJV.

2 James 1:3–4.

3 1 Peter 1:7.

4 See 2 Chronicles 20.

5 KJV.

Read More

Adios to Angst and Anxiety!

A compilation

Audio length: 10:40

Download Audio (9.7MB)

Angst is a deep feeling of anxiety, dread, insecurity, or apprehension. Angst comes from an Indo-European root word that means “anguish, anxiety, or anger.” Angst differs slightly from true anxiety in that, while anxiety is active, angst is passive. Anxiety is fear about a certain event, but angst is a sense of underlying dissatisfaction without specific cause.

Some seasons of life produce apprehension that, if not dealt with properly, can create angst. Geographical moves, an upcoming job change, or the teenage years are often seasons in which we can develop angst. The decisions of national leaders can stir unrest in the citizenry during war times or economic crises. Rather than allow those events to create angst, the Bible invites us to cast all our care upon the Lord, because He cares for us.1 We are not scolded for our fear but urged to choose a better option than angst. Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The book of Psalms gives us many examples of situations that could produce angst, but the psalmists continued writing until they found a solution. Psalm 42, for example, expresses the fear, apprehension, and anxiety we often feel, but it intersperses those heartfelt cries with hope, such as in verse 5: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

For citizens of heaven, life in this broken world can be overwhelming. We don’t fit in here. We don’t like or agree with much of what the world celebrates, and that feeling that we are “not home yet” can create angst. When we allow ourselves to be emotionally embroiled in ongoing conflict and fruitless debate, we can develop angst without realizing what it is.2

Christians who struggle with feelings of angst should ask God to develop the fruit of the Spirit, joy, in their lives3; find their satisfaction in Christ4; and choose the path of blessedness.5 We are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”6 Jesus promised to give us His peace, saying, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”7,8

We can count on the Lord to provide for our needs, protect us from evil, guide us, and keep our souls secure for eternity. We may not be able to prevent anxious thoughts from entering our minds, but we can practice the right response.9

In 1 Peter 5:7, we are instructed to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God does not want us to carry around the weight of problems and burdens. In this verse, God is telling us to give Him all of our worries and concerns. Why does God want to take on our problems? The Bible says it is because He cares for us. God is concerned about everything that happens to us. No worry is too big or too small for His attention.

Of course, for those who do not know the Savior, worry and anxiety will be part of life. But to those who have given their lives to Him, Jesus promised, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”10—From gotquestions.org11

*

[Jesus] says to everyone who believes in him, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.”12 Jesus—and all the promises that are now Yes in him13—is the antidote to anxiety. What he accomplishes for us and promises to us is the ultimate triumph over all that terrifies us. He does not promise us escape from misery in this world. He promises that he will redeem every misery,14 and that in him we will overcome the worst the world can do to us.15

In Christ, everything is going to be ultimately, gloriously, eternally, inexpressibly, wonderfully okay. Therefore, Jesus says to you and me, right now, right where we’re at, “Do not be anxious.” He says this knowing our past, our temperament, the seriousness of our current crises, and how intense we fear the possible dread may become reality…

Of course, the command to not be anxious is humanly impossible. But as with nearly every other command for the Christian, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”16

The only way we can fulfill this command is “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,” making our requests known to God, trusting a specific promise. Then his peace, surpassing all our understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.17 We cast our anxieties on God,18 and cease to be anxious in the strength he supplies.19—Jon Bloom20

*

Why endure another sleepless night? Why suffer from anxiety when you can give your cares to Me and I can give you peace of mind? Even in the bleakest circumstances, I can give you amazing peace that will relieve the mental and physical stress caused by worry and fear.

My peace comes to your heart when you turn your eyes from your troubles and toward Me. Stop worrying and think about Me. Find one thing to thank Me for—one special thing that I have done for you in the past—and praise Me for that. Or think of the worst thing that’s ever happened to you and the fact that you’re still here, and turn that thought into a prayer of thanksgiving. Even if you didn’t pray at the time, even if you didn’t yet know Me at the time, it was I who brought you through that situation. I’ve been watching over you your whole life, and I have either helped you through or spared you from more troubles than you can imagine—just like I’m going to help you through your present problems.

The more you praise Me, the more My peace will fill your heart.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Every day there is much to be thankful for. There is also much to keep one feeling anxious and worried. Yet God calls you to live in thanksgiving and in peace. Worry only gives way to fear, and fear will displace your faith, causing anxiety to grow. God tells us to let faith take the upper hand and cover over the fear that tries to slip in and rob you of peace. Let the truth of His Word change your anxious heart and mind and let worry be your call to prayer.

Dear God, fill my heart and mind with the recollection of all that I have to say “thank you” for. Thank You that as I take responsibility for guarding my heart and bringing my fears to You, YOU also guard my heart and mind with Your amazing peace. What a wonderful exchange! Today I turn my worried anxious thoughts over to You and ask You to preside over the details of my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.—Gail Rodgers21

Published on Anchor March 2020. Read by Jon Marc. Music by John Listen.https://anchor.tfionline.com/post/adios-angst-and-anxiety/

---

1 1 Peter 5:7.

2 Titus 3:9; 2 Timothy 2:14.

3 Galatians 5:22.

4 Psalm 103:1–5.

5 Matthew 5:3–12.

6 Romans 8:37.

7 John 16:33.

8 https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-angst.html.

9 https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-anxiety.html.

10 Matthew 11:28–30.

11 https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-worry.html.

12 Luke 12:22.

13 2 Corinthians 1:20.

14 Romans 8:28.

15 John 16:33; Romans 8:35–39.

16 Mark 10:27.

17 Philippians 4:6–7.

18 1 Peter 5:7.

19 1 Peter 4:11.

20 https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/talk-to-god-about-your-anxiety.

21 https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/gail-rodgers_trade-anxiety/.

Read More

Living Without Worry

A compilation
Audio length: 9:40
Download Audio (8.8MB)

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?—Matthew 6:271

*

Do you cross rivers before you come to them, dread troubles that never come, expect evil from the Lord instead of good? In other words, is your soul full of unnecessary care? For that is what the word “careful” means—unnecessary care.

“Do not worry” is a plain and simple command, but it is such a difficult one to follow. M. D. Babcock has given a few beneficial suggestions for the person who feels defeated because of the common ailment of worry. “The anxious Christian hurts more than himself; he hurts the faith of those who know him and the good name of his Lord who has promised to supply all his needs.” There is nothing which we cannot pray about. Go deeper into the text: “But in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.” What we can take to God we can trust to God. What we put our fidelity into, He will perfect by His faithfulness. While we work for the best, He works the best for us. We may not succeed as we hoped; we may have discipline we little expected, but the Father knows what His child needs. What God has for us to do we can do, or to bear we can bear. Is there not enough in His ocean to fill our pitcher? With the needs of every day will come His promised supply—“My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Do not forget the words further on in the text: “with thanksgiving.” Be on the lookout for mercies. Blessings brighten when we count them. Out of the determination of the heart the eyes see. If you want to be gloomy, there's gloom enough to keep you glum; if you want to be glad, there's gleam enough to keep you glad. Better lose count in enumerating your blessings than lose your blessings in telling your troubles.

Unbraid the verse into three cords and bind yourself to God with them in trustful, prayerful, thankful bonds—anxious for nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything—“and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”—Thoughts for Every-Day Living2

*

God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out. Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not “dying grace.” Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die.—J. R. Miller

*

Do not begin to be anxious.3

Not a few Christians live in a state of unbroken anxiety, and others fret and fume terribly. To be perfectly at peace amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. What is the use of worrying? It never made anybody strong, never helped anybody to do God's will, never made a way of escape for anyone out of perplexity. Worry spoils lives which would otherwise be useful and beautiful. Restlessness, anxiety, and care are absolutely forbidden by our Lord, who said: “Take no thought,” that is, no anxious thought, “saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?” He does not mean that we are not to take forethought and that our life is to be without plan or method; but that we are not to worry about these things. People know you live in the realm of anxious care by the lines on your face, the tones of your voice, the minor key in your life, and the lack of joy in your spirit. Scale the heights of a life abandoned to God; then you will look down on the clouds beneath your feet.—Rev. Darlow Sargeant4

*

A record of God’s faithfulness in the past combines with hope in a better future for one end: to equip us for the present. As Tolstoy said, we have control over no other time. The past is unchangeable, the future unpredictable. I can only live the life directly before me. Faithful Christians pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” and then proceed to enact God’s will—love, justice, peace, mercy, forgiveness—in the present, on earth.

If I reflect on my entire spiritual pilgrimage at once, I usually end up nostalgic for those times when God seemed so much closer. Faith, I have found, is not something I settle into, a skill I learn to master. It comes as a gift from God, and I need to pray for it every day, as I pray for daily bread. A friend of mine, paralyzed in an accident, traces her turning point in faith to this very principle. She could not face a life of total paralysis; she could, however, face one day at a time, with God’s help. The Bible contains 365 commands to “fear not”—the most reiterated command in the Bible—as if to remind us daily that we will face difficulties that might naturally provoke fear.

“There is no fear in love,” writes the apostle John, “but perfect love drives out fear….” He goes on to point to the source of that perfect love: “We love because he first loved us.” In other words, the cure to fear is not a change in circumstances, rather a deep grounding in the love of God. I ask God to reveal his love to me directly, or through my relationships with those who also know him—a prayer I think God takes great delight in answering.—Philip Yancey5

*

When a guide leads you down a path that’s new to you, he doesn’t tell you what you’re going to need to do before you get to the turn or the fork in the way. He waits till you get to the point where you need to know before he tells you what to do or where to go next—and that’s the way it is with the Lord. In most cases, you don’t need to know all the details of what you’re going to do tomorrow. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow. You often have to plan ahead, but you’re not to worry about tomorrow. Just do what God knows you can do and what God asks you to do today, and be prepared to do the same tomorrow.—David Brandt Berg6

Published on Anchor March 2014. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Dooley.


1 NLT.

2 Streams in the Desert, Volume 2 (Zondervan, 1977).

3 Philippians 4:6 PBV.

4 Streams in the Desert, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 1965).

5 Reaching for the Invisible God (Zondervan, 2000).

6 More Than Conquerors. A Mountain Streams book (Aurora Production, 2002).

Read More

Don’t Worry About It

By David Brandt Berg

Download Audio (11.3MB)

There’s one thing for sure in this life, and that is change.

In times of change, this has always been my favorite passage to read—the 11th chapter of Hebrews. “Faith is the substance”—the title deed—“of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Verse 8 says: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out…” Someday you’re going to be called to go out. Don’t get so settled that you let the roots grow down and you think you’re going to be where you are forever.

But at the same time, don’t worry about it. When people get upset and worried about things, you say, “Don’t worry about it.” And if anybody could say that to us, it’s the Lord. Don’t worry about it. You’re His child and He’s going to take care of you no matter what happens.

So what about Abraham? “He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country.” Here he’d been promised a whole country, and it was full of a bunch of enemies and aliens. He must have thought, “My Lord, I don’t know if I even want this country; it’s a mess. And what do we do with all these terrible people who hate us and fight us and try to kill us?” But there he was, “dwelling in tabernacles”—that means tents—“with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.”

So Abraham started wandering. He’d apparently lived in Ur of the Chaldees all of his life, and then all of a sudden his father said, “We’ve got to move. God’s called me to Canaan.” So they started on their way to Canaan. But they only got about a third of the way there, and I guess poor Terah was getting old and tired and sick, so they settled down there to rest him up and he died. So after his father was dead, the Lord said to him, “Abraham, get thee out of thy father’s tents and come to a land that I will show thee and give thee.”1 So Abraham carried on.

“With Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise” Why? “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hallelujah! It says “which hath foundations.” How many foundations has it got? It says twelve foundations, think of that.2 “Whose Builder and Maker is God.”

Verse 13 says: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.” Just think, one after the other of the patriarchs died without ever getting there, without receiving the promise, without receiving the Promised Land, much less the city of God. Think of it. But they all believed and they kept traveling and they kept on going for God and spreading the message, evangelizing the world, witnessing. They were witnesses to faith in God and His Word.

“But having seen them afar off.” Probably some of them never dreamed they were 2,500 or 3,000 years away. Abraham was nearly 4,000 years away from that city, and yet he was traveling for it. That took a lot of faith.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises.” He hadn’t even received the Promised Land yet; it was full of enemies. “But having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” There’s no place on this earth that we can go without being strangers and pilgrims. “For this world is not our home, we’re just a-passing through; our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue”—the old song goes. “The angels beckon me from heaven’s golden shore.” It’s not ocean shore, it’s those golden streets up there. “And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

The Lord loves us so. He knows we’re not completely at home here. He knows we have no resting land, no place where we’re going to be able to stay for eternity.

I believe we ought to enjoy what we have while we’ve got it. A lot of people can’t enjoy what they’ve got for worry about tomorrow.—Like the old lady who, when they asked her how she felt, said, “Well, I feel pretty good today, but oh, when I feel good I always feel bad, because I know it’s not going to be long before I feel bad again.” That’s the way some people are. But I believe in getting as much as we can out of each day.

We should enjoy life, do our job, do our work, enjoy it, enjoy each other, enjoy our beautiful home, enjoy our comforts: the good beds, food, and pleasures that the Lord has given us. God will bless you as long as you put Him first and love Him and worship Him above all and seek Him with your whole heart. He’ll give you the desires of your heart. If you seek Him first, all these other things shall be added unto you.3

Look at the things God has added unto you—things you didn’t even ask for. Hasn’t He been good to you? As Jesus said to the disciples, “Lacked ye for anything?” They said, “No, Lord, we had more than enough.”4 He sent the seventy out by faith, and they came back shouting and praising the Lord for the marvelous victories, the healings God gave and the souls won. They said, “Even the devils are subject unto us”—much to their surprise.5 Jesus had told them that they would be, but I guess it was hard for them to believe. But they tried it, casting them out in the name of Jesus, and it worked, He worked, and even the devils were subject to them.

Some people can’t enjoy what they’ve got now for worrying about the future. Some people can’t enjoy the present for worrying about the past—and the future. We children of the Lord ought to be able to enjoy every day to the full. We don’t have to worry about the past; the Lord has washed that away in His blood and cleansed us from all guilt and shame and sin. And we don’t have to worry about the future. He’s going to take care of that too.

Have you ever been homesick? Sometimes you have a little qualm of nostalgia and you think about those good old days and those beautiful places. It reminds me of that old verse, “Turn back, turn back, O time, in your flight and make me a child once again for the night.” Everybody gets nostalgic sometimes. Everybody remembers happy memories and you think how wonderful it was sometime. So enjoy today. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy right now. There’s just something about human nature that we tend to look back through rose-colored glasses. It’s wonderful how God made you to remember the good memories and to forget much of the bad. You’re already enjoying a little bit of heaven on earth, happiness, work for the Lord.

These people in Hebrews 11 never got what they were looking for on earth. “But now they desire a better country.” We’re not satisfied with this world. We’re not satisfied with all that we have here and now. Watch out if you get satisfied with it. We’re looking forward to a better country—heaven. Like that song, “There must be a better place than this—heaven.” “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly.” There it is, clear as day.

“Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” Boy, that is one of the most amazing statements in the whole Bible to me. What does that mean? If God’s not ashamed of you, what is He? He’s proud of you. Why? Because you’re not satisfied with this world, you’re not settling down here. This world is not your home, you’re just a-traveling through. You’re seeking a better country, a better city, that hath foundations, a better land.

This world doesn’t satisfy your heart; it doesn’t fulfill your longings, your desires for the heavenly.

I am a stranger here within a foreign land.
My home is far away, upon a golden strand.
Ambassador to be, of realms beyond the sea,
I'm here on business for my King.

This is the message that I bring,
A message angels fain would sing.
Oh, be ye reconciled, thus saith your Lord and King,
Oh, be ye reconciled today.

We’re ambassadors of the greatest kingdom the world is ever going to know, the greatest country, the most beautiful.

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called your God.” He’s proud of you because you’re not satisfied with this world. You’re working hard and willing to be pilgrims and strangers and to go wherever God calls.

And because you’re willing to do that, you’re willing to be reshuffled whatever way God designs, whatever way God can best use you, God’s proud of you. God is thankful for you. I just hardly know what other word to use to express it, but He’s proud of you.—Just like you’re proud of your children when they do well.

When you’re in school, you call it passing when you go from one grade to the other. Our kids are passing all the time; they’re making progress. When you’re traveling along in a car, how do you know when you’re moving? You know you’re moving and you’re making progress because you’re passing things. Maybe in your spiritual life the same is true, when you start letting it pass. You don’t worry about it, you don’t hold it against somebody for some idle remark or something foolish that they did, something they said. You don’t get hypersensitive and upset about it and hold it against them. You just let it pass; you forgive them. You’re passing things.

You’re passing through this world too; that’s another sign of progress. You’re ready to go, ready to stay, ready to do His will. So God’s proud of you. He says it right here: “So God was not ashamed to be called their God.” Isn’t that wonderful?

So thank God, God is thankful for you, because you are willing to be a pilgrim and a stranger. He knows you’ve got the right spirit, He knows you seek a better country.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your kingdom which is going to last forever. We’ve already got it in us, Lord, and we’re in it already as far as You’re concerned. Wherever Your children are, it’s Your kingdom. You said You’d give us the uttermost parts of the earth for our possession, and the heathen for our inheritance, Lord.6 So we’re conquering the world, we’re conquering souls for Your kingdom. We’re taking it over, Lord, until that day when You’re going to have the final complete takeover. It’ll all be Your country then, not the Devil’s kingdom anymore, but “Thy Kingdom Come.”

Originally published May 1985. Updated and republished February 2013.
Read by Simon Peterson.


1 Genesis 12:1.

2 Revelation 21:14.

3 Psalm 37:4; Matthew 6:33.

4 Luke 22:35.

5 Luke 10:17.

6 Psalm 2:8.

Read More