Overwhelmed
In my newsletter today I am going to focus on the word overwhelmed. The word means to feel defeated, to feel like you are drowning and to be overcome with emotions. Do you ever get to a place where you become overwhelmed? How many times in our lives have we ever experienced these feelings? For me, I can say that it has been many times over the course of my life. But how do we put away these feelings and push them aside so it does not consume our every thought? We pray and give it to God without taking it back. The idea is much harder than expected, but it all boils down to trusting him to take care of us. We should let him handle every detail and tell ourselves that whatever the outcome is in the end, we need to be okay with it. Do you know why? Because the God of the universe knows all things and that means he knows what the future holds. We may also not be aware of what is around the corner that can cause us harm, but he knows and is willing to protect us. There are various things that may affect us, some may include: lay-offs, sickness, or even a financial decline. Therefore, we need to remember that when we pray for specifics and do not see our requests come to fruition, there is always a reason why he did not allow our plea to happen so we must stop being overwhelmed and trust him. Let’s look at an example of how David’s journey of being overwhelmed was transformed when he leaned on God instead of himself. When David was running from Saul (1 Samuel 21) he was overwhelmed and feared for his life. As David fled, he found refuge not only in a cave, but with the Lord through his prayer and worship time. Though I am pretty sure David did not think his life would consist of running just to live, God supplied many other things in their time together such as: how to rely on Him instead of David himself, and how to increase his faith and trust in a sovereign God. One commentary states that David turned, trusted and triumphed. Who did David turn to-he turned to God-a higher authority that would provide peace and comfort as well as meet all his needs? Next, he trusted that his problems were in the hands of someone who could sustain him and decrease his feeling of being overwhelmed, which in turn, gave him hope and the ability to trust God’s promises. Last, we see that David triumphed in God’s grace. Can you see a message here? The lesson we learn through this story, conveys that we should give our burdens to God, turn to Him and increasing our trust and then we also can triumph while being led by the Great I Am.
I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
Psalms 34:4-5
Chaplain Tracey Burns
Reflection Questions
1. Who will you turn to when you are feeling overwhelmed?
2. What will it take for you to trust his promises?
3. Will you allow him to lead you in Triumph?
Bonus: Great song (if you are interested), Be overwhelmed by God, instead of allowing your circumstances to “Overwhelmed” you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6oxXwRWFTo&ab_channel=CindyOmlor