God, I'm so overwhelmed

Was pretty overwhelmed and caught sight of this blog post that lifted my Spirits because of God's Word in It. The verses Psalm 61:2-4 really ministered to me alot.

Reposting from: http://www.biblewriter.com/overwhelmed.htm

Overcoming that Overwhelmed Feeling

"...I will cry to you when my heart is overwhelmed." Psalm 61:2

Opening Prayer: Father, I've done it again. I've let the pressures of this world overwhelm me. What do You suggest?

Can God-fearing people feel overwhelmed by life? Sure. It happens to you. It happens to me. It happens more often than we realize. This lesson is being written because I recently experienced a few weeks of feeling crushed by the weight of everything.

The usual excuse these days is "the pressures of modern life." But there's nothing modern about or unique about stress. Two thousand years ago, our Lord said, "In this world you will have tribulation." And a thousand years before that, King David wrote many Psalms expressing his fears and anxiety.

Psalm 55, verses 4-8 could have been written by a parent concerned about violence in public schools:

4 My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest."

Please notice that the writer KNOWS his situation is out of control. He can't fix it. He can't even stand to think about it. The only hope is to flee, to try to put physical and emotional distance between himself and the problems. "Maybe I need a backpacking expedition to Yosemite or a trip to a little-known tropical island..." Can you relate? Have you felt like that?

The first step is to realize that you are not alone. Your problem is not unique. King David -- described in Scripture as "a man after God's own heart" -- frequently felt anxiety, judging by the number of Psalms that speak of terror, grief and fear.

But I thought Christians were supposed to have it all together, with "perfect peace" and all that stuff.

There IS a verse that describes perfect peace, and we'll get there before this lesson is over. But for now, realize that only Jesus had it all together, and even He felt anguish. Try reading Psalm 22, which Jesus cried out from the cross. When you read it, remember that Jesus voluntarily experienced that anguish on your behalf, because He loves you. He is moved to compassion by your "overwhelmed" condition. Just like He was moved to respond to the helpless and overwhelmed people of 2,000 years ago.

In Mark 1:41 we read how Jesus reacted to the ultimate outcast of His day, a leper:

And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said, "I am willing. Be cleansed."

Note that the Lord Himself, God in human flesh, was MOVED with compassion. The plight of this man -- who could not be cured by his own efforts or by any human doctors -- caused Jesus to be moved with compassion. Then He TOUCHED the man.

Did Jesus feel moved by the folks who felt comfortable and self-sufficient?

You can be sure that our Lord did not run around trying to touch and heal people who felt they had it all together. He did not appear on television and teach the power of positive thinking. He was moved by the people who KNEW they had needs. And He touched them.

The Lord has done the greatest works in my own life at those very times when I was the most helpless and overwhelmed. When I deserved help the least -- and needed it most -- my Lord was moved with compassion to help me. Will He do any less for you?

Let's look at Psalm 61, verse 2:

2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

The second step is to cry out to the Lord when we feel overwhelmed. And notice what we should cry out for: We urgently need higher ground, and we can't get there unless the Lord LEADS us there. Contrary to what some contemporary religions teach, the solution is NOT inside yourself. You already know that intuitively. You need a Rock (Jesus) for shelter from the storm -- a sheltered place HIGHER than the flood waters. A safe place higher and stronger than ourselves.

Let's continue in Psalm 61 and see what else we can learn.

3 For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Notice the verb tenses in this passage: "...You have been..." and "I will abide" and "I will trust." The Lord God HAS been a shelter to David in times past. The Lord HAS been a strong tower, protecting David from his enemies. David's enemies were consistently evil and violent, but God was consistently watching over David and sheltering him whenever David cried for help. God HAD proven His faithfulness.

Yeah, but that was a very long time ago. Life is very different now. Don't we need new truths and new solutions?

Yes, David lived a very long time ago. But people today are no different in any important sense. Our vehicles are faster, our music is louder and our toys are more expensive. But human nature is no better or nobler for these cosmetic distractions. In fact, the ineffectiveness of most secular counseling is proof that we've lost sight of the real issues and answers of life. The Bible keeps reminding us that some things never change. Fortunately, God's nature doesn't change.

Didn't you mention some Scripture about "perfect peace?"

Yes, and thank you for asking. But before we go there, remember that this is one of God's very special blessings. And while His love is unconditional, His blessings are usually conditional -- they require some small effort on our part to qualify for something too wonderful for us to ever achieve own our own. Having said that...

Isaiah 26:3 says:

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (anchored) on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.

In this case, the blessing is perfect peace. In the Hebrew, it's "shalom shalom" -- the normal word for peace repeated for emphasis, to show that this is something quite special.

So what's the catch?

Very simple: in order to qualify for perfect peace, we need to anchor our minds and hearts on the Lord Himself. We need to trust that our Lord keeps His promises. We need to trust that He loves us personally and passionately. We need to trust that He'll save us somehow, even if there's a nasty storm raging outside. We need to trust that it's safer to stay anchored to Him than to drift off and flow with the tide.

So how does all this relate to our subject of being overwhelmed?

If I'm feeling overwhelmed, then I've let my heart and mind drift from God. I've fastened my attention on my problems rather than my Lord.

So how exactly do we re-establish our anchor and get over being overwhelmed?

We need to do what David did in Psalm 61 above: start praising God for His faithfulness and his loving kindness for us. If we divert our focus away from our problems and onto Him, the Lord Himself will reward our faith and give us His perfect peace. On the other hand, if we stay fixated on our problems and put our confidence in the power of our problems to overwhelm us, we'll probably be overwhelmed. Can you guess which approach I prefer?

But teacher, you don't know my problems.

True. But how do your problems compare to what Jesus experienced on the cross -- on your behalf? I can't relate to your problems, but He certainly can. So if you start praising Him and thanking Him for His love and care for you, you will experience the most amazing peace. And the peace will come before your problems go away.

Praise: The forgotten gate to prayer

Sometimes I get so focused on my problems that I forget some key principles in Scripture. In retrospect, it does sound silly but I often lose sight of the fact that prayer has a "gate" through which any believer can enter into the presence of God.

The gate to prayer is in Psalm 100:

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord, He is God: It is He that hath made us, and we are His; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise: Give thanks unto Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness [endureth] for ever, And His faithfulness unto all generations.

Verse 4 is more than quaint poetry. It is a simple call to rise from our bed of tears and look -- in faith -- to the Lord Who loves us. This is not easy, or more people would get it right. But if we fill our minds, hearts and mouths with praise to God, we'll find that God's presence is right there, just ahead of us.

This works for two reasons:

• We can't easily concentrate on two things at once. Speaking praises out loud will DISPLACE some of the dark and gloom.
• Praising God -- while our problems continue to rage around us -- is an act of faith. And faith is the key to everything in God's kingdom.

Faith is taking some positive action based on God's Scriptures, even when our circumstances look like the forces of evil are going to win the battle.

But teacher, how could a good God let me hurt so bad?

I don't know your circumstances, but God does. All I can say is that you must step forward in faith, praising our Lord for His faithfulness and proven character. Enter into His courts with thanksgiving and praise. Give up your "right" to be angry about your circumstances. Approach the Lord as a hurting child seeking a comforting parent. And the God of peace will make His love real for you.

Closing Prayer: Father, I've drifted away from You in search of other pleasures and other treasures, and the storms have overwhelmed me. I praise You for Your faithfulness to me in times past; help me re-establish my anchor in You. Amen.

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Psalm 22:1-15: My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Why art Thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou answerest not; And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in Thee: They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying],
8 Commit thyself unto the Lord; Let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him.
9 But Thou art He that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust [when I was] upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon Thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.
11 Be not far from me; For trouble is near; For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me; Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gape upon me with their mouth, [As] a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; And Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Click here to return to the main lesson.

Why it's good to be a Little Child =)

Watching on as a bystander, I noticed how a little girl was posing for her Mummy's Iphone Camera.Then, seconds later she was hopping in a bubbly way over to ask how did the picture turn out, asking her mummy to show her. (the times that makes one go:"Awwww.. shoo cuteeee.") Such Joy from the little girl exuberantly infected me as I smiled to myself too.

"It's so good to be a child." - I thought to myself.

Being a child is a common experience for everyone, and it is one of the times where most of us would be of no worries. Carefree and free as a little bird flying around, we do what we want, obviously oblivious to the people and surroundings we do the most silly things in. As we grow up, we then start to become more sophisticated in our thought and behaviours... and that's perhaps the point we cease to be a child anymore. We just can't go back.... or can we? And then I got reminded of what Jesus spoke about being a child in Luke 18 about Babies and Little Children (just 3 verses!):

The Little Children and Jesus
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” - Luke 18:15-17

I have been a part-time Baby-sitter because my Mum has been a baby sitter in the past 10-15 years of her life, having the privilege to witness 4 babies from the point of being a baby to the point where they past primary education (at least). There are times where being a Baby-sitter gives you the best joys in the world (when the Baby smiles or laughs!), and at other times you could hate it the most (when it cries non-stop,driving you nuts). I do still like little kids though, cause they are so cute sometimes. Perhaps those who have become parents would appreciate this post a lot more.

It's incredible, then how a Baby, or even a Child's emotions are summarised into two separate extremes of emotions: Laugh or Cry.

Kids nowadays are pretty smart and actually skip through their childhood into maturity wayyyyyy too fast in my opinion. Just ask my 5 year old cousin what she thinks of certain things and she can rattle on, even sound like a small adult. Not new to technological advancements like the Ipad or Iphone, PSP, computers and the internet (Oh my, even my parents dread the thought of using a computer)

Children, well.... are not as innocent as before in the past, in my days, in my parents' days. I would like to think though that in Jesus' time, kids were pretty much Kids - Little Children who were innocent and like I mentioned simple-minded and oblivious to many things, concerns, worries, and people. And we still see that in kids nowadays - just that it has been cut so ever short.

I reflected on the three verses above and thought on why, or what qualities (if you were to coin it this way) makes a Baby or a child Better in a sense that Jesus would actually say that whoever does not be like one of "those little kids" (yes, pesky little ones!) would enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

And it's perhaps best summarised in two words as well: Laugh and Cry.

1) Crying:
Little children, especially kids, Cry at EVERY (yes every!) possible scenario, it's amazing to say the least. Be it when they are Hungry, thirsty, afraid, needs attention, has poo-poo-ed or Wee-wee-ed, THEY CRY. Crying is the one single option for them to express to SOMEONE that they have something that needs to be taken care of.Obviously, little children cry to their parents, as if instinctively that their needs will be attended to (or maybe we were created that way).

Why Cry when you know nobody will come? But the little child will not know this at all, he/she just simply cries until the point they get what they need. It's incredible too how a child is totally reliant on it's parent and guardian to take care of things: Firstly, the baby can't cook or make milk for itself. Next, it can't feed itself. And then, even after feeding, infacts need to be patted on the back until they burp, in case they vomit out and choke. It can't change it's own diaper if it had poo-poo or wee-wee in it. The child just knows how to cry.

How many times in life, even after we grow up, are we going to run into situations as if we "poo-poo-ed" and need someone to take care of the situation? Countless I can assure you, and many other times that would be close calls. Who are we going to cry out to in situations like these?

There will be many things in Life that we cannot and will not be able to handle - Just like how the baby or little child can't even attend to it's own needs.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34: "...do not worry about your life... your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness....", elsewhere in Philippians 4:6, it says "Do not be anxious about anything... but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.", Psalm 55:22 also says: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you...", 1 Peter 5:7 also says. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (all from NIV translation)

God Simply wants us to cry out to Him in scenarios like these.

We don't need to handle everything to the point we are so stressed and zoned out. We are not alone even if no one is there to help us in however bad the situation is. We just need to simply realise many things are out of our hands, but is in God's Hands. We can trust God will come just as He promised to minister to us, just like how a parent would care for all the needs of a child, who can't do anything.

God wants us to come to him and the "Helplessness of a child is in fact to the child's gain". John 15:5 says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." How true, how true that the branch relies on the Vine for all it needs - How true a child relies on the parent for it's needs. God wants us to respond in this way too, He wants us to know He can be relied on for our needs.

2) Laughing:
Laughing is an emotion likewise known to all of us. It's amazing how infectious this joy can be and how a child's laughter can bring satisfaction to a parent. The simple games of "cluck-cluck tongue", "Peek-a-boo", "tickle-me", "fall from height" "piggybacks", "horse-riding" brings so much laughter and is much fun to a child who know not of the Ipads, Iphones, MacDonald Happy meals...you name it.

it's funny to the parent and on-lookers when the child tries to mimic the "clucking tongue" but never be able to do it yet, "Peek-a Boo" not knowing that they are really never hiding, and the hands are not much of a cover, "Tickle me fights" that they always LOSE, but still laugh."Fall from height" where the parent drops the child only to catch it, not knowing the danger.....It's to the child's gain that Life's simple pleasures Satisfies. The Child knows not so much worries that steals joy from it, certainly it is just simply...Happy.

Ignorance is Bliss, perhaps, but Blissfulness not always mean we have to be ignorant. We do in fact know that material things, certain pleasures that we enjoy will all cease to pass someday.We are striving for many things, thinking it would bring us Happiness. Society and Culture psycho us into suscribing to it's versions: Money brings you happiness! Having the Good Looks brings Happiness! Being Popular Brings Happiness! Being successful brings happiness! Perhaps, these things bring temporal sense of happiness, however, it will not last.

Some claim Love will not pass away. It's sad nowadays that sometimes even families fight over money. Relationships with people are now watered down versions of what they ought to be. What's the measure of Love can also be substituted with materials. Kids nowadays dare to ask their parents to buy them luxurious things, and claim they don't love them if their wants are not met.

John 15:9-11 says however that: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

There is a kind of Love that's promised to us that wouldn't pass away, and that is God's Love. He only asks us to remain in His Love for us so that our Joy may be complete. What Joy you may ask? The Joy perhaps knowing that Jesus can be your greatest friend, to go to in times of need to share your life with in times of happiness. The Joy knowing that we are loved, not because however worthy of Love we are or not, knowing we are accepted fully, however flaws we come with. The Joy you share when God does something wonderful through you by using your life to touch the lives of others...

God simply also wants us to Delight in Him. This is repeated in Nehemiah 8:10 "Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” David, a man described as after God's own heart also says in Psalm 28:7 : "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

It amazes me how delighting in God can be a source of strength for our everyday life. Perhaps with that joy, we grow to appreciate the things in Life, rather than grumble at the things we lack. We are always lacking somehow, but we can be content.

Philippians 4:4 says not once but twice about rejoicing, and in the Lord. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

God wants us to be happy in Him because He is the source of Life, the true giver, even though sometimes we desire the gifts more than the Giver of the gifts Himself. Having Joy in God is infectious too. I have met people whose lives are turned around because of their Faith in God. No matter how troubled their situation is, they are not wallowing in self-pity, but in contrary living Lives to the fullest by turning their lives to invest into the lives of others - They become others Joy as well.

So there we have it... Cry and Laugh. The two extreme of emotions rolled into one in our egnimatic hearts. Oh, and yes,we can still choose to be little children, as God has called us His children :)