UNHURRY HACK: Every day we are inundated with news of the good, the bad, and the busy. Only when we filter today’s headlines through God’s truth are we able to rest in His joy and peace.
FIRST READ: Philippians 4:6, Isaiah 9:1-7, & John 1:1-5
Every day we are inundated with news of the good, the bad, and the busy.Our heads and our hearts are filled to capacity with information, and before we can process all of it we are bombarded with even more. From world events to the latest cleaning tips, our brains rarely get a moment to rest. What in the world do we do with all of this information that comes at us each day?
Information overload is nothing new to the world. News and gossip has always fought for human attention. Each snippet promises utmost importance and so we are prone to listen, but man is fallible so we are wise to use caution. Some information is credible, some is not. Some information we need, a lot of it we don’t. We spend hours reading screens, listening to experts, and speculating in conversation just trying to figure it all out. At the end of the day our certainty rests on only one thing--the infallible Word of God. Only when we filter today’s headlines through God’s truth are we able to rest in His joy and peace.
Is there any hope amidst the headlines? As a Christian our hope is not confined to a breaking news story or hidden in the corners of the internet. Our hope is found in Jesus Christ and he is available to all.
Do you feel overwhelmed today? Here are 3 scripture passages I have found to be helpful when my flesh fights worry over today’s headlines.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t be anxious about anything…pray about everything (paraphrased)
Isaiah 9:1-7 Darkness and despair will not go on forever…(paraphrased)
John 1:1-5 Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the light of the world. And darkness can never extinguish the light. (paraphrased)
How can we apply these truths? Here is a simple acronym for those moments we wonder, "What in the world do we do with that information?" Think W.O.R.L.D.--
Amidst the headlines of today we can find hope as we remember and pray for the following:
· W = Wonderful Counselor
Our understanding is limited (even the “experts” of the world fall short), but God needs no teaching or advice. His ideas existed before any of ours. Anything we wonder about can be measured up against the plumb line of God’s Truth.
Lord, I don’t know what to think about__________, lead me to your Truth.
· O = One True God
He was, is, and always will be Mighty God regardless of the news of the day. No act of humanity can rise above or extinguish the Almighty God. God is bigger than the greatest and worst breaking news story.
Forgive me for letting __________ consume my thoughts and hope instead of you. Lead me in pure worship of you Jesus.
· R = Rapha
We can safely release all our fears and worries to God--He is Jehovah Rapha. Rapha means “to let go” and comes from the same root as the Hebrew word for doctor. We can completely entrust all uncertainty to the healing hands of our capable and trustworthy God.
Jesus, I surrender to you all fear and worry about __________ today. You are the expert and I trust you with all the answers as I rest in your healing hands.
· L = Light of the World
Jesus is the True Light and He pierces the darkness. No matter how hard the world around us may try, darkness can never extinguish the Light. What a comfort this is in a dark world. In our hurting and worried world, we have the opportunity to share our hope and truth in Christ.
Pierce the darkness of this world in mighty ways today and draw many more people to your unfailing love and faithfulness. Give me boldness and clarity to tell of you Jesus. I pray for __________ by name today.
· D = Deliverer
Jesus is the Messiah. He delivered us from our sin and will deliver us one day from this broken world. No issue will be left unresolved. He is the Prince of Peace.
Jesus, you are the hope of the world. No technology or modern advancement can compare to you.
Father God, I rest in your peace and joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen