Refuse Anxious Thoughts and Turn Your Day Around (340) - March 7 2026

According to Proverbs 15:15 (AMPC):  'All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].'

This week we focus on guarding our hearts and minds, so that what we think, believe and ponder on remains fixed on that which lines up with the very Word of the Living God Almighty. Else we permit evil circumstances to come against us each day, regardless of our knowledge or ignorance of these principles. Worse, we question or even blame our Heavenly Father on how he could have allowed us to have such a bad day!

This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC):  Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Hebrews 13:8; Proverbs 15:15; Psalm 118:24; Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 3:20; Colossians 1:13; 2 Timothy 5:16; Psalm 138:22; Peter 3:9; Matthew 7:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 4:4.

Transcript

0:22

(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) And a very good day, this is Pastor Marc Whelan with Touch of God. And as events and situations unfold in the earth around us, we naturally look for security, safety and stability where there is insecurity, danger and instability. The good news though is that there is nothing more stable than our Creator and His Word. We get to choose whether we want to trust in the One who does not change, who loves us and protects those who believe in Jesus, or decide to remain in fear as so many are experiencing in these times with everything going on today in this world. We get to make this choice of who we need to focus on, the world or our Lord, in the times that we need Him and not just only when we need Him for situations in our lives, but make a choice every hour of every day to seek Him with all of our heart. We get to make that choice of whether we want to do that every hour of every day, not just at salvation. Psalm 119, verse 89 gives us reassurance that God is a stable God and His Word is stable. It says God's Word is forever settled in heaven. That means it's fixed and it cannot be changed. It is forever the same and it will not be changed. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 8 says the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. And it's not just God's Word that's settled, God Himself does not change. It says in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 8, Jesus Christ the Messiah is always the same, yesterday, today, yes, and forever to the ages. I know for many that this is a cycle. Every January the 1st we say, well, if last year was that bad, surely this year will be much better, and you have hope for the year that's coming. But yet, January the 1st next year, you will be saying the same thing. Is that you or do you have more peace than that? Some might have experienced a great deal of pain and grief with the loss of a family member or a loved one, or perhaps pain in their own life because of disappointments or lack of direction. Many will take in a deep breath and exhale in their summarization when they look back on the year and in almost disbelief that it ever occurred. The beginning of a new year does not have to be a time in which you look back at the previous year in dismay and fear the coming year to be the same or worse. For some it will be this way, unfortunately, but others they will be in perfect peace. It is all to do with how you look at everything and where your focus dwells. Do you look to Jesus as your Lord, or is God pushed out of first place in your life by some other idol? Your Heavenly Father has a great love and fondness for you, and He desires to protect you. However, before we rest back and wait for God to do it all, we have to look at how our thinking affects things as well as what we say about every situation, every day. Proverbs chapter 15 verse 15 in the Amplified Classic Edition says, All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil by anxious thoughts and forebodings. But he who has a glad heart has a continual feast, regardless of circumstances. So how can we have a glad heart in these times? How is it that we should not be anxious for anything, as Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6? Because we see here in Proverbs 15 verse 15 that these days are made evil when we think anxious thoughts. But if we have a glad heart, we'll have a continual feast regardless of circumstances. And yes, regardless of circumstances would mean anything negative that's going on in your life or the lives of people in the world right now or situations around you. So that is a verse that we need to ponder on because our thoughts make or break our day. So how can we have a glad heart in these times that Proverbs 15 verse 15 talks about? Well, we must look to what God has blessed us with in the midst of pain and suffering and evil around us in the world, which God was not responsible for. So I'm not about to be flippant with you, but are you breathing? Of course you are. Most of you can be thankful for being able to have all limbs intact. You have arms, you have legs, you know, and not to be flippant, but if you are missing an arm, if you had to have one amputated, I speak life into that bone, I speak life into that arm or leg right now. A limb I command you be restored in Jesus' name. And it's not clever talk. It is scripture. I can speak a thing and by faith that will come to pass because Jesus, by his stripes, you were healed. It's been paid for. Somebody just has to stand up and say something by faith and believe for it to be done. So you can have whatever you need in the way of your body, in the way of your peace in your heart. But you can have it if you believe by faith in the name of Jesus, because he's the name above all names. Most of us have food on the table every day. For those of you who are starving, trying to make ends meet, we pray the Lord put on someone's heart to help clothe you and feed you in these times. But to those of you who have food on the table, that is something to be thankful to the Lord for. And even if you do not have food on the table, be thankful to the Lord that he is able to stretch your faith and to perfect your faith by you trusting in him for him to be able to bring food to you supernaturally through someone else knocking on your door. But remember, food and clothing and everything like these are material things. These are the things we usually think of first when we think of trying to survive. But Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 6 not to be concerned about any of these things and be anxious for nothing. Now if Jesus says be anxious for nothing, it must be possible, because God would not put anything for us to do in his word that is not attainable. As we seek God first in all things, the material things will materialize when they become less important to us in our hearts in comparison to the importance of God. Psalm chapter 118 verse 24 says this is the day which the Lord has brought about. We will rejoice and be glad in it. So in the face of calamity, destruction and sickness and disease and viruses or loss of life, we are to rejoice in the day that we still exist. We still exist in this earth with breath in our lungs. We have a lot to be thankful to the Lord for no matter what's going on around us. We have Jesus. We have our Lord and our Savior. He will lift you up. He will strengthen you and encourage you when you are weary and heavy laden. He will bring your soul rest and peace in your heart. But you must seek him. That is where your focus must be. Your focus must be Jesus, for Jesus to have that relationship with you that he has so preciously paid for to have. So do you have such a relationship with the Lord today that you know and keep him as your Lord each hour of every day? Precious soul, are you still wandering around with no direction, attempting to survive by short-term pleasures and sins and addictions? Well, if that's the case, the Lord would say to you today, as Isaiah prophesied in chapter 1 verse 18, come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. Though God wants to reason, he wants you to come to him, confess your sins. He has paid preciously with his life on the cross for you to be reconciled back to God the Father, back to him, so that sin no longer separates you from him. Come into this family of the Lord today. Receive Jesus into your heart. You see, Jesus patiently knocks on the door of your heart, according to Revelation chapter 3 verse 20, but you have to decide if and when to let him in. The Lord wants to rescue you from where you have been in darkness with a lack of the knowledge of the truth and bring you over into his kingdom, according to Colossians chapter 1 verse 13. He wants you to understand him, to read the truth, which is his word. It's God's word, the holy scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit, according to 2nd Timothy chapter 5 verse 16, that God has placed above his own name, according to Psalm 138 verse 2. However, each of us has to make the choice to want to know the Lord, to want to know the truth. There is no love where someone forces you to do something against your will. The Lord does not force you to do anything. He does not force us to find out the truth, but he dearly hopes we decide to find out and do the research and to spend time reading his verses and scriptures in his word and to accept them as truth. He dearly hopes you would do that. And we know this is true, that he doesn't force us, but he hopes, because there's an example in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 9. It says, we know that it's the Lord's will that none should perish, but the Lord says in Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 to 14, enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and spacious and broad is the way that leads a way to destruction. And many are those who are entering through it. Verse 14, but the gate is narrow, contracted by pressure, and the way is straightened and compressed that leads a way to life, and few are those who find it. So if there are many who are entering through the broad way that leads to destruction, and few are finding the narrow way, that means that many are going to hell and few are going to heaven. So that's why it's so important for us as believers to be preaching the gospel, telling people about Jesus, and telling people the truth and testimony about your life, share your testimonies. See, the Lord revealed to John in the vision recorded in Revelation chapter 3 verse 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears and listens to and heeds my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will eat with him, and he will eat with me. So today you have a decision to make, or you have to check yourself today. If you've already made the decision earlier on in life to receive Jesus as your Lord and your Savior and you believe you are saved, then are you still allowing Jesus into every part of your heart? Are you still allowing him today? Are you still having that relationship, that beautiful relationship that he paid so preciously for with you? Are you trusting in him? Are you allowing him to steer your path? Are you acknowledging him? Are you trusting in him with all of your heart, not leaning on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledging him so he can direct your paths? That's Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6. Are you allowing the Lord to direct your life by his spirit? That is the question today. Are you trusting in him to the extent where no matter what happens around you, your foundation is the Lord. You have a strong foundation that is stronger than concrete. And it is not as weak as straw or the house on the sand, the house that will falter in a storm and will fall over. You have to be seeking the Lord because he is your strong tower. Those who are running into it are safe according to the Bible. Are you always focused on dwelling in the place of the Lord, dwelling in the Lord's heart? Or are you keeping the Lord to one side, trying to figure life out and figure things out every day based on your own understanding? Because at the point where you see the world is going the way it is, are you in a position to trust in the Lord no matter what you experience? Or is it getting to the point where you say, you know what? I can no longer trust in the Lord because I just have to take things into my own hands. But that is not a correct understanding of the Lord. That is a person who is not having a relationship with the Lord, because if you knew the Lord, you would be able to trust in him. No matter what happens around you, he would protect you and he would contain you in the palm of his hand. So it's important that you check yourself today, that you examine your heart. And if you believe that the Lord would not look after you, you must read his word and understand his nature. And if you don't understand his nature, then believe and understand what Jesus did when he was on the earth. Because Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 says Jesus is the exact imprint of the nature of God, the Father. So if you see Jesus doing good things, you know that's the nature of the Father. His will is not any that should perish at all, but we know many will, according to the earlier scriptures that we had today. So we need to seek the Lord and make him our foundation, no matter what it looks like, smells like, tastes like, or whatever you hear on the news. God is your creator, and you are his son or daughter if you've received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are God's child. You've received an inheritance of the kingdom of God. You are a child of God, and God loves you. He cherishes you, and he wants to protect you. He's not a God who would force himself upon you. I mean, you have a free will to choose. He just hopes that you will choose him today. So the Lord revealed to John in the vision recorded in Revelations chapter 3, verse 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears and listens and heeds my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will eat with him and he will eat with me. This is the Lord Jesus, of course, standing at the door of your heart and he's knocking, he's not barging the door down. He's knocking, hoping that you will open the door and receive him. Receive him totally and sit down and eat with him and dine with him, have a relationship with him. We don't deserve a relationship with the Lord, but God's grace and mercy has permitted it, has allowed it because of God's love for you today. So are you going to answer the door today? Are you going to allow the Lord in? Perhaps you have allowed the Lord into the lobby or the entrance to your home immediately inside the front door. But maybe some of the doors of your rooms in your heart are locked tight and you would rather not go there or not allow the Lord to go into those rooms. But the truth be told, the Lord knows exactly what's behind those doors. Remember, the Lord can go through walls. He can walk through walls, so no door will keep him from secrets. The Lord knows everything. So it will be healing to your bones if you would just reveal to him what he already knows. He wants you to come clean. He wants you to be honest and truthful with him because God is a God of truth. He doesn't like secrets. So if you would just declare and confess everything to him, that will be healing to your soul and it will be cleansing for your conscience, according to 1 John chapter 1 verse 9. Do not be afraid. The Father already made his son Jesus to take your sins on the cross. God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us that you might be the righteousness of God in his son, Christ Jesus. According to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21. So Lord, we just thank you today for your word. We thank you, Lord, that you went to the cross in our place, Lord, by your grace and your mercy, even though we deserved to go to destruction in hell because that was judgment, that was just for us to go there. And we just thank you, Lord, today that even though we deserved it, you gave us a way of escape. You paid, Lord Jesus, with your shed blood on the cross so that we might be able to choose you, receive you, and believe in you, Lord Jesus. That we might be rescued out of the domain of darkness and be moved and translated and transferred into your kingdom. And we just thank you today, Lord, that we open the door of our hearts to you so that you may walk in, that we would allow you into every room in our heart to give all of our secrets to you, to talk to you about everything going on and all our concerns. But we may also not just tell you about our problems, but we may thank you and be appreciative and grateful for everything you've done for us, Lord. Because, Lord, you want us to praise you. You want us to worship you, Lord, and you are so deserving and worthy of it, Lord, more than us telling you about our problems. Lord, yes, when we are weary and heavy laden, you are there to give us rest. But that is not the only thing you're there for. Lord, you are near to the brokenhearted. But, Lord, you want us to just focus on you, focus on your face, and not focus on the face of the earth and everything going on around us. We just thank you, Lord, today for being such a blessing in our lives. To those who would receive you, Lord, and you are always looking out even for those who blaspheme you and curse you, Lord. We just thank you, Lord, that you have a forgiving heart. You forgive us of our sins and you remember them no more. And we bless you as we confess our sins, Lord. You cleanse us of all unrighteousness, according to 1 John 1, verse 9. Lord, we thank you that you are opening the eyes of those who have been blinded by the devil, because 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4 says, for the God of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds that they should not discern the truth, preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the Messiah, who is the image and likeness of God. So, Lord, we just thank you today that you're continually bringing people into individuals' lives to proclaim your goodness, to talk about your goodness, and show them the Bible, and show them their testimony. Talk about their testimony. Tell them about your good things that you have done in their lives. And we bless you today. We thank you, Lord, for bringing us comfort during these times, bringing us peace. But, Lord, as we focus on you and not the things of the world, we focus on you with all of our hearts, Lord, and we trust you, Lord, for you keep us in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, as we trust in you, according to Isaiah chapter 26, verse 3. So we thank you, Lord, today that our peace depends on who we are focusing on. Are we focusing on the problems in the world, or are we focusing on you? Lord, we thank you for your mercy and your grace today being available to us. Lord, thank you, Lord, for just loving us with your Holy Spirit, the power of your Holy Spirit, the power of your love, and keeping us strong, keeping us encouraged as we pray, as we seek you first, and your kingdom, and your righteousness. And all those other material things will materialize. All those things will be added unto us, as we continue to put you first above all those things that we are concerned about. And we bless you today, in Jesus' name. Amen. And so, finally, I just wanted to pray over you today. If you wanted to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, all you have to do, you don't have to say exactly these words, but you have to mean something like this from your heart. Just ask the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, please come into my heart today. Please forgive me of all my sins as I confess them to you. Lord, please save me. Please rescue me out of the powers of darkness. Lord, please recreate me. And Lord, just thank you today for washing my sins away, so that now I am white as snow with your precious blood, having paid for my redemption, paying for my brand new life. Because Lord, as your word says, I am a new creation now. Thank you for bringing me your peace. In Jesus' name, amen. So, until next week, you have a blessed week. Amen.