God’s Got This

Guest post by Brianna Barrett

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT.

Do fear-filled thoughts or discouraging lies flood your mind? I’ve been there.

The doctor called to confirm the surgery date. It was in the books. I would be his first surgery of the day. When I hung up, a wave of emotions overwhelmed me. I felt like I was drowning in lists
of things I needed to do before the surgery, and then the what-ifs/worse-case scenarios began to spin in my mind. I had been here before, but I knew what I had to do.

Two years before–in the middle of the pandemic–I had experienced panic attacks, starting with conversations about my first surgery. My chest tightened and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. During those times, I found that the easiest way to combat my intrusive thoughts was to replace them with God’s Word. God was faithful and never left me. He walked with me through these tough moments.

I found myself on my knees, crying out to the Lord, asking for help and guidance. Each time, I was reminded of three verses. Those verses became my lifeline for overcoming anxiety and fear in the uncertain times leading up to my surgery.

The Word says we should give all our cares and worries to God because He cares about us! (1 Peter 5:7).

When the thoughts spiral, I stop myself and turn them over to God to help me take these thoughts captive.

Paul instructs us in 2 Corinthians, “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT).

As a visual person, I started redirecting my thoughts, imagining myself lassoing these words/lies/lists. Once they are lassoed, I begin a process of self-talk, deciphering the truths, and replacing lies with truth.

I can’t have surgery right now. The lie that the timing wasn’t right was replaced with: The necessary surgery was scheduled at the right time.
More lies included, I won’t be able to drive or pick up anything. And what if complications cause paralysis or something worse? The truth was that my family would help me with my physical limitations, and I’ll be praying for them throughout this experience. The fear of the “what-ifs” was replaced with truth.

Moses reminds us in Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).

This verse keeps me grounded, knowing that God has already gone before me. He will be with me through the pre-op, surgery, and recovery. He’s not leaving me.

When I thought things were dark and bleak, God was already working things out. I only saw the little picture in front of me, while He worked on the BIG picture. He worked out schedules, medical staffing, procedures, and surgery care, and He brought me closer to
Him through the entire season.

The surgery went well, but the recovery was more challenging. I experienced some chronic lung problems, and years later, I’m still going through the treatments for those. But you know, I don’t fear it like I did. I know that God’s walking with me – working things out while I cling to Him.

The next time you are gripped by anxiety and fear, causing you to be afraid or discouraged, I encourage you to:

1. Pray. Because prayer is learning to turn it over to God and trust him.
2. Read the Word daily. Add verses to your phone screen or sticky notes around the house.
3. Visualize lassoing those thoughts and combating them with truth.

Dear friend, please hear me when I say you are not alone, even in your darkest valley, you are not alone (Psalm 23:4). I don’t know your circumstances or your anxiety, but I do know that God does and He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’s our comfort and our peace. He’s gone ahead of you and made a way. We just have to trust Him. He’s got this.

Lord, thank you for never leaving me. Forgive me for the times I struggle with anxiety and fear. I pray for your peace in the situations that I’m facing. Help me to replace my thoughts with truths from you. Thank you for guiding me along and for comforting me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bio: Brianna is a Carolina girl who loves Jesus and her family. She enjoys watching the sunrise, photography, reading, writing, and paddleboarding. According to her teenage son, she’s a master chef in the kitchen, making gluten-free cuisine from around the world. Her writing and photography have appeared in numerous publications including Faith On Every Corner, Creation Illustrated, and Our Story Magazine, and she is a contributor to The Grit and Grace Project, Candidly Christian, and Broken But Priceless Magazine where she writes the column, “From A Homemaker’s Heart”.

Her first devotional book, “Hope in the Healing: A 40-Day
Devotional Journey Through Chronic Illness” is now available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/fpSq619

Check out her latest works at https://briannagrams.com/ and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.