Reality TV shows are huge these days. People like to engage in what’s real. The Biggest Loser is an enormous hit, for example. But what if they had a show called The Biggest Worrier? I wonder how many of us would take home the prize.
Worry— It’s the easiest thing we do, taking no effort on our part at all. It comes to us wrapped in a genuine concern about our relationships, careers, kids, grandkids, finances, and more; yet, like victims unaware, we can so easily cross the line of “concern” and become “choked” in its wake before we even know what happened. Amen?
In fact, I know I’m trapped in its grip when I wake up at 3:30 am, and I can’t go back to sleep. You have your own potential fears of the unknown, and I have a few myself.
I read a devotional the other day that served as a great insecticide to these invisible "worrymites" that nibble away at our well-being. Hang on with me a minute while I dive into the Old Testament with a math lesson.
In the days of Daniel, Jerusalem lay in ruins, having been destroyed by Babylon. But Daniel predicted a decree to rebuild the city, and the issuing of that announcement trigged a timeline for the rest of history: seven periods of seven years, followed by sixty-two periods of seven years, at the end of which the Messiah would come and be crucified.
The math lesson looked like this: 7×7=49; and 62×7 = 434. Add 49 to 434, and you get 483 years – the EXACT NUMBER OF YEARS until Jesus Christ would enter Jerusalem on a donkey and be crucified. The point right now is not understanding the numbers (that’s another lesson in it of itself), but the point is knowing that God set into motion a series of events for future generations that would shock us into the reality that HE IS REAL – being fully in control of every detail concerning our futures. Yes, the eternal Father sees. Nothing catches Him off guard at 3:30 am; that’s why we should give all our worries to God. He’s going to be up all night anyway.
I’ve been mulling over the phenomenon of Daniel’s prediction and how it came true. And here’s what I’m thinking as it relates to how our worries are going to be played out in our own lives, “If the Lord knows history’s timeline, then don’t you think we can trust Him with ours?”
Oh, Lord, my times (circumstances, dreams, life course) are in Your hands. Psalm 31:15
