Introduction:  We live in an anxious world. People today are living in fear and worry instead of faith and worship. God did not save us for us to live in fear and doubt but in faith and devotion. All too often when we should be singing we are sorrowing. When we should be in gladness we are in sadness. When we should be worshipping we are whining. Someone said, “Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles.” (Read V.34) There is not one thing that you and I can do about tomorrow. We simply must do what the Lord requires of us and leave the future to HIM! (Illus: “Trust and obey). The Lord said—“Take…no thought for the morrow…” which simply means “be not anxious”. If we are going to live happy, fulfilled, and productive lives then we must learn to trust the Lord in all things (Prov. 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Sadly, anxiety holds a grip on many lives today. The Lord did not make us for worry, fear, and anxiety. He desires us to trust Him, love Him, and obey Him. Beloved, I choose to trust Him with my tomorrows and live for Him today. What about YOU?  Notice three things as we consider, Choosing To Trust. 

I.          THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANXIETY (6:34) 

A.        Doubt.  When We Fail To Trust We Begin To Doubt. 

Doubtfulness is thinking that our situation is hopeless. It is thinking that we are beyond help. It is then that doubt and worry begins to choke our minds. “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained. Doubt and worry about the future will strangle your happiness, joy, and peace.   

B.         Dread.  It Is Either Fear Or Faith. 

Fear is a magnifying glass, enlarging everything you look at. Fear takes a possible threat and blows it way out of proportion, amplifying it so it’s beyond rational thinking and overly emotional (2 Tim. 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of  love, and of a sound mind.” The Holy Spirit is not the author of fear and dread. If we worry and have fear about the future, it is because we have chosen to do so. Fear is focused on what you cannot control. Fretting about the future will not alter it. What are some things we have no control over? :

·         We Cannot Control Our Health Future. 

Yes we can make healthy choices today. But we might get cancer. We have a heart attack. We might die in a car accident. All those things are sad, but we cannot control them. Worrying about the future doesn’t change our health.

·         We Cannot Control Our Family’s Future. 

Our kids may rebel against God and reject Him for a season. They might make terrible choices that break our heart. Some of our marriages might end in divorce. We cannot control what others will do. But we can love our family first and foremost. We can pray for them, forgive them, and ask forgiveness of them.

·         We Cannot Control Our Financial Future. 

We might lose our job. The stock market might collapse. We cannot control these things but we can save more than we spend. We can say no to things we don’t need and payoff our debts and live within our means.

·         We Cannot Control Our Environmental Future. 

We live in a very dark moral time. Temptations abound. Sin and avenues to sin are everywhere. We cannot change the moral climate we live in. We cannot control the outcome of elections. But we can choose to trust God and look to Him for strength and victory in life.

C.         Division.  The Word Anxiety Literally Means “To Divide The Mind.” 

When we are anxious our minds are divided between living in the present and worrying about the future. Friend, when you constantly keep a record in your mind of all the unknowns about the future and repeatedly hash them over in your mind, the uncertainties become so large that they can crush you. We were not made for worry. We were not formed for fear. We were not molded for the misery of trembling about tomorrow. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, in effect, “…You can’t carry the weight of the past—that’s what forgiveness is for. You can’t carry all the uncertainties of the future; you must focus on today. Let’s deal with what we can.”

II.         THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANXIETY (8:23-27)

A.        Uncertainty.  Wouldn’t It Be Nice If Life Were Easier?

Uncertainty is a part of life. Every day we live in this world there will always be some kind of uncertainty staring us in the face. In Matthew 8:23-24 we see a day in the life of Jesus that perfectly illustrates for us the imperfections of our human existence. Look at the difference in v23 between faith and uncertainty. While the storm was raging, Jesus was sleeping. The disciples were fearful and full of doubt but Jesus was confident and peaceful. We cannot avoid the storms of life. The reality is that we will always face times of uncertainty. But we can trust God in the midst of our storms. The truth is; on this side of eternity, there will never come a day when we don’t need to trust the God who loves us!  Our futures will be ravaged by the waves until we embrace the truth that God allows many storms to come our way for our good. 

B.         Unbelief.  These Disciples Were Overcome With Fear. 

Even these seasoned fishermen knew things were out of control (v25). But I want you to note Jesus’ response to them. George Muller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. Were the disciples anxious? But should they have been? In the Christian life everything has to do with faith. The issue always is, “Will I trust God? Do I believe He has my best interest at heart?” I believe God orchestrates our lives so that we will come to the place we will cry out, “Lord, save me.” 

 III.      THE CURE FOR ANXIETY (Philippians 4:6-7)

A.        Turn Your Burdens Into Prayers. 

The disciples, even in the midst of this great storm as the boat was taking on water and Jesus was asleep, did something right (Mat. 8:25). The disciples took their burden straight to Jesus. What about you? Prayer is the transaction that transfers our burden to God. The reason so many of God’s people are so heavy with anxiety is we’re so poor at prayer. When Scripture encourages us to pray without ceasing, and to cast all our care upon him, it is literally saying redirect those restless, energetic minds into a positive stream of communication with God. Turn it all into prayer! Jesus will rush to our rescue. But as long as we think we can handle our crisis on our own, the Lord will let us handle it. But the moment we lift our voice and say, “Lord, save me” is the moment He shows up.

B.         Trust And Believe The Lord’s Promises. 

Trust is the cure for anxiety. It resolves our worry and destroys our fear. That is why Paul wrote in Phil. 4:6—“Be careful for nothing…” We are not to be anxious over anything but “in every thing by prayer and supplication” let our requests be known unto God. This means we trust the Lord’s power and rest in the Lord’s promises. Trust then is an act of our will to give our burdens to God. Trust is walking forward—day by day—rolling our burdens on the Lord.  If we feel as if we are taking it back on ourselves, we then need to get back on our knees and give the burden back to God and continue to trust. We can rest in the Lord’s promises. What has He promised us? :

·               His Presence (Hebrews 13:5-6).

·               His Power (Isaiah 40:29-31).

·               His Peace (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 29:11).

Friends, we can be confident today because “…he is faithful that promised…” (Hebrews 10:23).

Conclusion:  The disciples were in the midst of the storm. They were fearful. They were uncertain. But they knew where to turn!  They turned to the Lord. Friend, what about you?  Storms are meant to drive us to our knees where we will cry out to God for help. Where do you turn in your storms? Are you choosing to trust? It is a choice that will change your life forever!  Friends, I choose to take my burdens to God and leave them with HIM and exchange them for His promises. I choose to trust. What about you?