Anxiety: The Key to Unlocking Anxiety- God’s Precious Promises (Part 3 of 4)

“The Lord is faithful to all His Promises and loving toward all He has made.” Psalm 145:13

In my last two posts of this series, Anxiety: A Springboard for God’s Redeeming Grace and Joy and Anxiety: Getting to the Root, A Biblical Perspective, we looked at the ‘what’ of anxiety—the connection between anxiety and joy—and the ‘why’ of anxiety—the root, unbelief. As we begin to wrap up this series together, we will learn the ‘how’ of unlocking anxiety through using the ‘key’ of God’s Promises.

The key to ‘unlocking’ anxiety is believing God—trusting His Promises spoken in His revealed Word to your heart and mine—which is the opposite of unbelief. Believing God and His Word and applying His Truth to our everyday moments of life is the first step to overcoming our battle with anxiety.

God’s Promises open our hearts to His genuine, inexpressible joy.

How do we use this key of God’s Promises to both unlock the door of our anxiety and move us to the other side of anxiety—genuine joy?

God’s Precious Promises

Our God of all comfort and encouragement has graciously gifted us, as believers, with literally thousands of Promises in His infallible, inerrant Word. These precious Promises strengthen our faith, encourage our hearts, and lift our spirits, bringing our hearts and minds comfort, assurance, and peace, especially in times of anxiousness.

God’s Promises open our hearts to His genuine, inexpressible joy. As His dearly loved children, His Promises are a gift beyond measure to us because God has faithfully given us His Promises for whatever the season, situation, circumstance, or trial we may face. God knows we will experience anxiousness, fear, worry, and doubt in our day-to-day lives; therefore, He has already provided us with everything we need to overcome these difficult times when our faith is tried and tested.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious Promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4

Promises, as we all know, are only as sure and reliable as the Giver of these promises. Our Sovereign, All-powerful, Ever-present, All-knowing, Gracious God has not only spoken these precious Promises, but also has provided every means needed to bring them to fruition. All He promises will come to pass, and nothing will thwart His Promises or His plans.

God is faithful to His Promises. “The Lord is faithful to all His Promises and loving toward all He has made” (Psalm 145:13). We can have full confidence that He who has promised is faithful!

Do you know this Faithful God through His Son, Jesus? “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). We cannot use the key of God’s Promises to unlock our anxiety if we do not first know Him personally or know His Word given to us.

Knowing His Promises leads to Seeing with His Perspective

Knowing God’s Promises leads to seeing with ‘eyes of faith’ in times of anxiousness.

Knowing God—our knowledge of Him and His Promises to us—and knowing Jesus as the faithful Giver of the Promises gives us peace and confidence knowing He is willing, able, and faithful to meet our every need.

God’s Promises are guaranteed by His own divine character—holy and perfect—and His trustworthiness. His Words to us are Truth, for He cannot and will not ever lie to us. “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season He brought His Word to light” (Titus 1:2-3).

We can take His Words to heart, believing them to be true and infallible. This knowledge of the truth—God’s unchanging character and His faithful Promises—brings joy to our hearts and peace to our minds.

Our hearts can hope and rest in the knowledge of His truth. (Titus 1:1-2)

The saving knowledge of the truth that leads us to genuine repentance is the same knowledge of the truth that delivers us out of anxiety, worry, and fear. The knowing of the Truth of God’s Promises leads to seeing with eyes of faith, genuinely trusting and believing God. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men” (1 Timothy 2:3-6).

Anxiety Blindfolds us from Beholding God’s Promises

Anxiety, however, blindfolds us from seeing the precious Promises of God, hindering us from believing and trusting in Him and His words to us.

Anxiety blinds our seeing and savoring of the Promises of God’s Word. Therefore, we want to learn to use the Truth of God’s Promises to help us move us from the darkness of anxiety and uncertainty into glorious light of His Truth, His presence, and His precious Promises to us. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

God’s Promises tear down the ‘wall of anxiety,’ allowing us to move into the glorious light of His Truth, His assurance, His peace, and His joy, all secured by His precious Promises to us.

Faith in God’s Promises leads to ‘sight,’ truly seeing and savoring God’s Word to us, taking it heart and making it personally our own.

‘Knowing’ the Truth always leads to ‘seeing’ with His perspective. As we know God’s Truth in His revealed Word, seeing always follows. Knowing God and knowing His Promises lead to truly seeing with eyes of faith. In every situation and circumstance, knowing God’s Truth leads to ‘faith sight.’

God allows us to see with a new perspective.
God helps us to see ‘a way’ when there seems to be ‘no way.’
God enables us to see hope when hope seems to have slipped away.
God entrusts you with seeing and believing, even when your feelings tell you something different to what you know to be true.

God gifts us with a new perspective in times of worry, anxiety, fear, or uncertainties being confident that He who called you is able to do what He promised. “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

True knowledge of God and the knowing of God’s Promises lead to sight, confidence, peace, rest, assurance, and clarity. God allows you to see rightly and judge your situation and circumstances accurately with wisdom and discernment.

Knowing leads to seeing, giving eyes of discernment, wisdom, truth, and faith. So often, we are blind to the truth of our circumstances, but in Christ, we can have new eyes of faith to see.

When we know God’s Promises, we see His perspective and the truth of our circumstances.

By God’s Spirit, we can declare with confidence, ‘I see God’s Promises working in my life! I see His Truth playing out within my circumstances. I truly behold the glorious Promises of God.’

Knowing and seeing are one in the same and go hand-in-hand together. ‘God’s Promises’ is the key that not only unlocks our anxiety, but also makes the connection between our anxiety and joy.

Genuine, saving faith in Christ allows us to see the Truth of His promises amidst every situation and circumstance, even when we cannot see the ‘on the other side’ details yet.

I love this beautiful, encouraging connection between knowing God’s Promises and seeing with eyes of faith in times of anxiousness. May this Truth encourage your heart in your present circumstances and season.

Reflection and Application:

Have you learned how to use the key of God’s Promises to both unlock the door of your anxiety and move you to the other side of anxiety—genuine joy?
If so, what is one of God’s Promises that speaks directly to your heart?
Write this specific verse down and memorize it, hiding it in your heart for times in the future when you need encouragement.
How does knowing that your Sovereign, All-powerful, Ever-present, All-knowing, Gracious God has not only spoken these precious Promises, but also has provided every means needed to bring them to fruition encourage your heart in your present season of struggle?
How does knowing that you cannot use the key of God’s Promises to unlock your anxiety if you do not first know Him personally or know His revealed Word encourage you to prioritize your time with Jesus?
Can you see how your anxiety blindfolds you from seeing the precious Promises of God, hindering you from believing and trusting in Him and His words to you?
What is one specific area in your own life where you need to know and see God’s Promises at work?