Joel M Bradshaw

14But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!–Psalm 31

When I go on hospital visits, these are one of the two main verses I have with me (Psalm 46:10 being the other). They are a great reminder. They are self-talk arrows I have in my quiver ready to use at a moment’s notice and on a regular basis. They find a way to show up in a majority of biblical counseling sessions. They are that good.

We don’t know what David specifically was going through. That’s why I added the second half of verse 15 above. I usually just stop at ‘hand.’ But David was being harassed by enemies. And in his anxiety and fear, he saw only one answer: God. So let’s look at this response.

1. TRUSTED IN GOD. This is key. When there are matters we cannot control, rather than trying to control them and making the anxiety worse, trust in God. Trust in God is the only answer to when you have no control or little influence over a situation. The absolute best reminder you can give yourself is to trust in God.
2. LEANED UPON RELATIONSHIP. It meant something to David to remind himself that Yahweh was his God. Trust flows from relationships. David trusted God because David was in a committed and dedicated relationship with God. We learn in the Bible that this type of relationship comes from self-denial and faith in God alone. My goodness, in my most anxious moments I reach upward, not inward. David saying, “You are my God” is a version of what we might say. Another great self-talk reminder: GOD’S GOT THIS.
3. MAINTAINED GREAT PERSPECTIVE. The Hebrew construct is both plural and singular. David said “my” so singular and “times” so plural. I love that they are plural. All of your life is in God’s hand. Easier times. Difficult times. Stressful times. Happy times. All the times are in God’s hand. This is the best perspective to maintain. My depression is attacked by this self-reminder. My anxiety is addressed by this self-reminder.
4. SPECIFIC REQUEST. David’s anxiety was fed by something. Anxiety is always fed. Here probably a mixture of exhaustion and fear. Fear is a big anxiety feeder. In his trust, David took this request to God. Sounds a lot like Philippians 4…

 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul wrote this to a church so they each had a relationship with God. He was commanding them to trust God enough in their anxious moments to take those requests to God. Even though these verses tell you not to be anxious, the Bible assumes that you sometimes are. 1 Peter 5…

7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

So what’s it going to be? In your anxious moment, tell yourself to trust God. Lean upon your relationship with God. Maintain the perspective that God’s got this. Then take your concern to him with that kind of faith.

I step on a scale every Monday morning tracking my weight loss. It’s a moment of anxiety for me. Even if I had a good week and expected an encouraging number to stare back up at me. I literally call out these verses as I step on the scale. ‘No matter what the number reads, God is in control of all this. He’s got this. My times are in his hand. I trust you, God.’

I even at one point set ‘my times are in his hand’ to 3pm every day as an alarm reminder on my phone. I needed that. It influenced my self-talk right when I needed it most. These verses are key and need to be in your quiver at the ready no matter what enemy you face.–JMB