Walk with Him: It Will All Work Out

When I feel overwhelmed, when the mental load is too heavy, I make a list of my worries. I get them out of my head and put them on paper. There is relief as I write down, in specific words, the weighty thoughts swirling in my head. Occasionally, a solution may come, but more often the problems are out of my control and there isn’t a specific action I can take. This list becomes my personal prayer roll. I have learned that with time and trust, these worries get resolved one way or another. It all works out.

If Joshua made his worry list, it might have included the following: How can I fill Moses’ shoes? How do I get my people over the river Jordan? What do we eat now that the manna has stopped? How will we get through those thick walls of Jericho? Will the people follow me when I tell them about this ridiculous plan of circling the walls of Jericho? What will we do once we get past the walls? Will my people continue to choose God?

With time and trust, Joshua’s worries did work out. His leadership journey wasn’t easy, but he didn’t do it alone. (Don’t miss the stories of Rahab and Caleb who were significant helpers to Joshua.) At the end of his life, Joshua shared his simple motto, “…choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). What a perfect title for a worry list: Choose God, and It Will All Work Out.

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9)

"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

Experiment with making a worry list and see if you feel relief as you share your burdens with the Lord.