Day 2 — When Worry Won’t Stop

“When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.”

— Psalm 94:19 (BSB)

Have you ever had a worry that just won’t go away? You try not to think about it, but it keeps coming back. It’s there when you’re trying to fall asleep. It’s there when you wake up. What if I fail? What if my friends leave me out? What if something bad happens to my family? What if, what if, what if…

That feeling has a name: anxiety. It’s worry that grows so big it starts to take over. Lots of kids and grown-ups feel it. You’re not weird, and you’re not alone.

The man who wrote Psalm 94 felt it too. He said, “When anxiety overwhelms me.” To be overwhelmed is to feel like a big wave is crashing over you, and you can’t keep your head above the water.

But look at what he says next: “Your consolation delights my soul.” Consolation means comfort. When his worries were crashing over him, God’s comfort brought him something surprising: delight. Joy. Peace.

How does God comfort us when we’re anxious?

• Through prayer. You can tell God every single worry. He’s never tired of hearing them.
• Through His Word. His promises remind you what’s true when worry is telling you lies.
• Through people. God often comforts us through a parent’s hug, a friend’s kindness or a grown-up who listens.
• Through His presence. Sometimes, just remembering that He’s right there makes the wave feel smaller.

Here’s something really important: if your worries are so big that it’s hard to eat, sleep, go to school or enjoy things you usually love, please tell a parent or another grown-up you trust. Sometimes God uses doctors, counselors and other helpers to help us feel better. Getting help isn’t a sign that your faith is weak. It’s a brave and wise thing to do.

God doesn’t want you to carry your worries alone. He wants to trade them for His comfort.

Think about it: What worry has been hardest to let go of lately? Who could you talk to about it?

Try this: Draw a big wave in your journal. Inside it, write your worries. Then, across the top, write Psalm 94:19. Pray about each worry.

Dear God, sometimes my worries feel like a big wave crashing over me. Thank You that Your comfort can bring peace to my heart. Help me bring every worry to You, and help me talk to someone I trust when my worries feel too big. In Jesus’ name, Amen.