Storm warnings have been on my mind this week. That's right. I'm speaking in the past tense. About 40 days ago, I decided to have an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) and informed the hospital that I would follow the doctor's recommendation. The process went smoothly, especially since my son Chance was involved, and on May 8, I received a letter confirming the procedure.

However, as it was my first experience, the brain cells in my head seemed to be firing. I felt like I was returning to the forest after all the hard work I had done to stop my hair loss. I wrestled with my complicated mind and went before the Lord several times, and after wrestling with it, I became calm. It was once again confirmed that prayer is the answer to all problems. Beyond being at peace, I began to look forward to the Lord's new work.

There was one scripture in particular that weighed heavily on my mind as I read. “Let not your heart be troubled, because you believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1 NIV) is a verse that I often proclaim and recite as a preacher. But to my surprise, I find myself worrying from time to time. The difference is that I can shake it off faster and faster.

There's a formula I've come across in my study of the Word. Worry X + trust in God = Lord O To put it another way, if you trust in God without worrying, you have the Lord. It means that you have the Lord in place of your anxiety. This triad of worry, anxiety, and concern is a given and a reality in our life story. But in this devotional, we are given a different approach and idea.

It is to widen our steps of faith and fill ourselves with the Lord first. The idea is that if we have the Lord, there will be very limited room for anxiety. This may sound too obvious, idealistic, and abstract, but it is because I believe that the law of total amount applies to the heart and mind. Of course, there are times when this law is exceeded. Those who overcome it will see miracles, but most will have their minds broken or hurt. Those who are outside the realm of thought see a different world and live a different life.

When our minds and hearts are filled with one thing, almost semi-automatically, everything else loses its power or disappears. The storm warning given this time is a reminder to change our hearts and minds and pass them over under grace. That's right. It's still a work in progress. No, it seems like it will continue and be practiced over and over again until we get to the Lord's kingdom.

The Lord O = anxiety X  That means when the Lord is in me, anxiety has no place.