OVERWHELMED

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

We live in a world where we can find ourselves greatly overwhelmed. Every generation has gone through it's times of being overwhelmed. The feeling of being overwhelmed comes where waves of negative circumstances and cares seem to overtake our thinking and thus, drains us of strength and emotional energy. Sad to say, such circumstances can also drain us in a spiritual sense. It isn't God's fault when this happens. God will always be be who He is. He doesn't change no matter what is going on in the world. I'm afraid it's those of us, the overwhelmed, who have taken our eyes off of our Father, losing our spiritual focus.

The Holy Spirit lately has been speaking to me through the above Psalm. A refuge is a place we can run to in time of great need. For we Christians, such isn't necessarily a physical place we can see and touch. God may provide refuges for us through our church, spiritual family members or even places of peace and quiet where we can fellowship with Him. However, even spiritual friends, family members or even church families can let us down. They may not intend to do that but in reality, no one other than God knows our deepest needs in times of being overcome with circumstances.

There may be times when I seek refuge in all the wrong places, having expectations of others they cannot meet. I would trust for us we would turn to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for our some spiritual comfort and advice. In reality, there is just so much others can do on our behalf. We live in a time when we want help and attention immediately, and even then it would seem we've been disappointed. There are no emotional EMT's in our world to come to our rescue.

I love the fact that God makes Himself available to us not only as a refuge but as a strength, a strength we can't muster up for our own selves. He will not force Himself on us. He just stands ready for us to approach Him. We somehow don't feel He is real enough and again, the fault is with us in our lack of faith. He knows us well and in entirety while we know Him so little.

Chapters, especially in Psalms are so precious with regard to who God is and the encouragement He can be if we approach Him in faith. I see in Psalm 46, precious things about God that are faith builders in every way. However, at the very end of this chapter is the key and it's a key we find uncomfortable. In verse 10a of Psalm 46 is a simple statement:

Be still, and know that I am God...

Being still under any circumstances for just about all of us is a near impossibility. Many of us have known quieter days. I recall childhood summers with no TV, computers, bustle of lots of activity when in the summer, I could sit on the front porch swing and just read. It was quiet except for an occasional car that would pass by. With that quiet came a peace in one's spirit that could equip a person for any hard times that needed to be faced.

We're told to be still which is a problem in itself. It's hard to be still even in spirit with all the noise our culture provides. If we are to be still in any way, we will have to determine to a least find some places of quiet for ourselves.

Under the best of spiritual circumstances, we aren't assured of never feeling overwhelmed,
but we will have the key to our survival in them all. That survival will be in our refuge with our Heavenly Father where we will find strength. He never sleeps or goes away for a weekend. He is as near to us as the very breath we breathe.

The final verse of that chapter is the resounding Hallelujah chorus:

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

I praise you, Father, for all You are in my life. Thank You for Your love and constant attention on my every step of life. Thank You for Your Son and all that has been made possible through Him for me. It's in His precious name I pray....Amen