Jesus is still on the throne

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7 In less than two weeks, my wife and I will be on a plane heading to Africa. We will be there for over 2 weeks, and part of that two weeks will be spent hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro. One thing I completely underestimated was just how difficult packing for this trip was going to be. It is so involved that we actually began the packing process two weeks in advance. Between all the gear for climbing and preparing for different weather conditions throughout the trip, the amount of stuff is just mind blowing. It seems like the list of "suggested items" to carry with us never ends.Up until this point, I had not been very stressed about the trip. Then this past Sunday we went to pick up a few of these last minute items. As we walked through Walmart, seemingly grabbing every item in the store and placing it in our cart, my mind began to race. How are we going to fit all this stuff in our bags? How are we going to keep it all organized and make sure we don't forget anything? How much is all this stuff going to cost!?For the first time, I truly began to get anxious about this journey. My first response to that anxiety was to speed up. I began running around frantically trying to make sure everything was getting done. I packed and repacked things in each bag, and kept a list of where every single item was being packed. It didn't take long for weariness to set in. I became frustrated, and I started getting a little short with my wife. That, in turn, made her anxious as well. My efforts to control the situation through brute force were not working out so well.Then the Holy Spirit asked me a question that he frequently asks me to hold me accountable. He asked, "If someone else was going through the same thing you are right now, what would you say to them?" Immediately, I remembered a truth that my wife and I speak over each other all the time. When one of us sees the other getting stressed out we will ask, "Is Jesus still on the throne?"Of course the answer to that question is yes, Jesus is still on the throne. He is still seated at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. However, like most things, that is only beneficial to us if we actually receive it and let it sink in. In Colossians 3, the bible tells us, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." The very next day, a friend of ours did something amazing. She is a teacher, and she told the kids in her class all about our trip. She told them that as a part of this trip we were raising money to sponsor two children in Africa, who we will meet while we are there. Her students then wrote us letters, and she shared one of them with us. After I wiped away my tears, I was instantly reminded of God's plans for this trip, and how they are so far above mine. I was able to look up and look past all the stress of preparing, and I was able to rest in the fact that God has already gone ahead of us to prepare a way for us.I don't know what you are wrestling with today. There are a number of different things going on in life that could have so much of your attention that they are stealing your focus from God. I urge you to STOP. Stop and sit still long enough to give your worries and cares up to the Lord, and to experience the peace of God in your situation. I have some good news for you. Jesus is still on the throne!