Whatever You Need

I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 61:2


Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Google defines the word overwhelm as, "to bury or drown beneath a huge mass."  We can be overwhelmed by many different things, but I want you to think about what comes to mind today. What is burying or drowning you with its enormity, or what has the potential to do so?

When David wrote the words, I call as my heart grows faint, he was feeling overwhelmed by his enemies, and he prayed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  He was buried and drowning and knew he needed to get to higher ground: To not be overwhelmed and to rise above his circumstances.

When Jesus told His disciples He was going to Jerusalem and would be killed there, some said they were ready to die with Him, but when the time came, they fled. On the night before His crucifixion, Peter said, "I will lay down my life for you."  But Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" (John 13:37-38)  Jesus knew it would be too much for Peter, and it was. No matter how much Peter loved Jesus and desired to remain faithful and strong, he couldn't.  It was beyond him. It was overwhelming.

Perhaps your troubles are not as great as David or Peter's, but they probably feel like it. If your peace and strength is gone, it's gone—no matter what has taken it away. But David had the right idea with asking God for help. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. (v.3)  He knew whom he was calling on and asked God to lead him to a place of strength.

In John 14, Jesus tells His disciples that the Father will send the Holy Spirit after He is gone. "[The Spirit] will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The word troubled means "to agitate (by the movement of its parts to and fro)".  Sounds a lot like drowning in water, in need of a solid rock to climb onto, doesn't it? It also means "to disquiet, make restless, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious or distressed."  Sound familiar? Many things can trouble us in this world, in our churches, in our homes, and even within ourselves. We can get upset with others, but we also get upset when we fail, feel weak, or do things that bring trouble to others or our own lives.

Jesus calls His peace a gift. It's not something for us to conjure up in our own strength. It's something we must receive from Him. In Galatians 5:22, Paul calls peace a fruit of the Spirit, and Jesus says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me…If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:4,7)

These words can apply to all the fruit Jesus wants to bear in us…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.  And we need Him to give us these gifts of grace. They are not of ourselves. But, like David, we need to desire what we need. We need to admit we are weak and void of these things without Jesus, without His Spirit indwelling our hearts. And we need to remember His words of love, mercy, and promise. But He says, "I will remind you! My peace I give you!"

If your faith is weak today, your understanding limited, your hope absent, your heart filled with fear, dread, or anxiety: Ask for what you need to rise above, and follow Him to the rock that is higher. To a place where you will not be tossed to and fro and overwhelmed by whatever has you drowning in despair, guilt, fear, anger, or faithlessness. He will give you whatever you ask for; He will give you whatever you need.



Word definition for "troubled" taken from www.blueletterbible.org

My Father Leads Me

Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart's delight. 
Psalm 119:111

Do you ever have trouble obeying God? Do you ever have those moments when you know what's right, what God has said, and what you know you should do; but you have a difficult time doing it? You rationalize, analyze the pros and cons of obedience, and weigh your chances of getting caught: caught by others in your dishonesty, misdeed, or bad habit—or caught by God.  You think, 'Will God really mind? Will He punish me? He'll forgive me, won't He? He forgave me for ______, so this isn't so bad, right?'

In Psalm 119, the psalmist writes 176 verses that are primarily about following God's instructions. He or she says, Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart's delight...joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD...they do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.  Practical advice to following God's commands are also given.  I have hidden your word in my heart; that I might not sin against you...I will study your commands and reflect on your ways...Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions...I think about them all day long.

Just about anything we do well in this life takes time, effort, determination, strength, and failure. Following God's commands are no exception. Mistakes are a great teacher: I used to wander off until you disciplined me...My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.  In John 12:48, Jesus says those who reject Him and His message will be judged by the truth He speaks. In other words, our sin and unbelief catches up with us because the truth never changes. We can try to change it. We can say, 'That's not true. I don't have to listen and live that way.' And I don't. God gives me free will to do as I please, but it doesn't mean my ways will prove to be right, because they're not! Only His ways are true and endure to the end.

But it's important to keep in mind that God is not our enemy. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path...the wicked have set traps for me; but I will not turn from your commandments...You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope...don't leave me at the mercy of my enemies, for I have done what is just and right...My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. (Psalm 119:105, 110,114,121, 123)

Our enemy is anything that leads us away from God and His instructions. They are like poison to our soul and the blessings God has in store for us. His plans are perfect. His ways are good. His instructions are life-giving. Jesus said, "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark...I know [My Father's] commands lead to eternal life, so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."  (John 12:46,50)

I think it's noteworthy that Jesus says the Father's commands lead to eternal life, not that obeying them does. Yes, obedience to God's Word, belief, and trust leads us to the abundant life God has promised; but it's not my obedience that "saves" me. It's the commands for right living that lead to life. His ways are best for me. I'm not trusting in my own goodness and righteousness to obey, but in His goodness and righteousness to tell me the truth and keep His promises.

But when I fail to follow and end up in trouble, misery, the pit, off-track—His mercy remains. He will still lead me: first to His forgiveness, comfort, healing: and then to the next step of grace: however He leads me to make things right, do things better, or trust more fully. His laws are true, and so is His love.

I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.  (Psalm 119:93)

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Reason For Joy

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good

and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

Do you ever feel down, depressed, or discouraged? What makes you feel this way? Pain, conflict, disappointment, failure? Negative thoughts and emotions are generally the result of bad circumstances and life not going the way we want. People do things to upset, hurt, or pressure us. Things happen beyond our control that make us unhappy, or we let ourselves down with wrong choices that leave us feeling bad or alone. Worry, fear, and stress can also take a toll on our emotions. Sometimes nothing is terribly wrong, but anxiety and the everyday stress of life clouds the joy we long for.

Most of the time there is little or nothing we can do about the behavior of others or unfortunate circumstances. It is what it is, and other than getting upset, angry, or frustrated, it's easy to just turn inward and allow the sadness, despair, or hurt to overtake our day, our week, or our year. And as for failure (real or perceived) we blame ourselves and might vow to try harder, reach our goals, or be a better person, but eventually the renewed strength, determination, and hope will wear off and we find ourselves right back where we started with the same challenges to face and shortcomings to overcome.

The good news? Psalm 100 describes a much different way of thinking and living. It's all about joy and praising God. I first heard this psalm when I was a young girl, and I memorized it at one time to earn points for going to camp. I always liked it, but I primarily thought of it as something to do when I went to church: To worship Him with songs of praise, as it says; but in reading the words this week, I saw them in a much broader sense. Not only as the elements of worship (joy, gladness, singing, praise, and thankfulness), but also as a means of attaining joy each day. Joy that overcomes any feelings of unhappiness, discouragement, or despair I am experiencing.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

The psalm begins with telling us to express our joy to God and worship Him with gladness, but it's pretty hard to do this if joy and gladness aren't already a part of my heart. God doesn't want me to fake it. He doesn't want me to pretend to be joyful while I'm singing songs of praise and then go home to my real life clouded with depression and failure. He doesn't want me to be joyful for His sake, just to hear me sing a nice song. He wants me to be filled with joy because I know who He is and who I am in His eyes:

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

You are not on this earth by accident. You were created for a purpose. Your life matters to others. You belong to God, and you matter to Him. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."  Others often make us feel insignificant. They can make us feel stupid, weak, and worthless. We can do a pretty good job of seeing ourselves this way also. Failure (or perceived failure) can be crippling. Difficult circumstances can make us feel alone. We get worried, scared, and don't know what to do. But when I remember my God is near and He cares about me, I don't feel alone anymore. I listen for His voice, and He tells me I am loved. He reminds me I am precious to Him. He points out the road for me to follow and gives me the means to walk it; or He tells me to wait for Him to work things out for my good.

For the LORD is good

and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

God is good. He loves me. He is faithful. Focusing on these simple truths restores my joy. Life will throw all kinds of trials at me. Others will hurt me. People will let me down, and I will often let myself down or just not have the ability to be everything I wish I could be. But God is so much bigger than my everyday worries, problems, and shortcomings. He is bigger than even the bleakest of circumstances. He brings beauty from ashes, hope from despair, and love to my desperate, lonely, or weary soul.

How could believing God is good, He loves you, and trusting in His faithfulness help you cope with whatever is clouding your joy? How could these truths help you have a better outlook on your circumstances? How could His love make you feel better about yourself? Take a moment to write down your thoughts before reading the next paragraph where we will look at another source of joy and gladness.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

Another key to finding joy is thankfulness. When we're facing difficulty or are bothered by difficult people, it's easy to focus on our troubles. But we need to keep our eyes on the good things and the blessings we have. What are you thankful for? What good things happened today or this week? Who has God placed in your life to care for you or bring you joy? What opportunities do you have to pursue your interests, seek God, be a blessing to others, and enjoy good relationships? How can the difficult things you are facing be an opportunity for you to trust God more and experience His love and faithfulness? How can God help you to make better choices or reach your goals?

Trying to handle things on your own will often lead to frustration, failure, and more problems. But asking God for His help brings hope and thankfulness when you see Him meeting your needs and filling your heart with peace and joy you thought was out of your reach.

Make a list of everything you're thankful for and see how that makes you feel. How do your blessings remind you of the truth?

Write down everything you need God's help with and ask Him to provide whatever is necessary.

When you are finished writing out your requests, express your thankfulness to God also and remember He is always near. You belong to Him, and you have a reason for joy.

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

(Nehemiah 8:10)