“Be confident, my heart, because the Lord has been good to me.”  Psalm 116: 7

It sounds like the psalmist is giving his heart a pep talk.  Sometimes my heart needs a pep talk, too.  When we’re anxious, willing ourselves to be calm or telling ourselves not to worry doesn’t work very well. Neither does getting down on ourselves. The psalmist not only encourages his faltering heart but explains to it why it should be confident:  because the Lord has been good to him.  Throughout the psalm, the author recounts past dangers and fears that enveloped him and reminds himself that the Lord answered when he called. The psalmist takes the time to affirm God’s help when he was most helpless and desperate. This bolsters confidence and gratitude.  The psalmist moves from reviewing God’s powerful saving action to praising and thanking him.

When anxious I’ve found it helpful to call to mind things that panicked me in the past – real or imagined – and remind myself that God brought me safely through every last one of those situations.  I survived all my worst fears because here I am today, writing this.  Acknowledging that God did for me what I could not do for myself brings me to a better place – a place of humility, trust, and gratitude.

If you’re reading this, you’ve survived all your past fears too.   Whatever we may be facing at the moment or in the future, we can encourage our hearts to be confident, because the Lord has been good to us.

Prayer:  Praise and thanks to you, Lord, for your saving power.

Reflection for sharing:  How has the Lord been good to you during past struggles?  How can remembering this encourage you during present or future trials?