Overwhelmed

 OVERWHELMED

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” - Psalm 61:2

Life is complicated these days. There are so many demands on our schedule, which is overcrowded already. To add to this, we face the stress of family concerns, financial worries and health issues. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by it all.

What should a person do when he or she feels overwhelmed? The temptation is to get away from it all and hope these problems resolve themselves. Of course, this is foolishness. We cannot run from the problems of life.

At times, it feels like we are drowning in the ocean of cares. We can feel like we are losing a wrestling match against our problems. It may feel like a mountain of trouble has fallen on us. It is easy to feel overwhelmed.

The good news is that the Bible gives us insight about such circumstances. The psalmist recognized that overwhelming situations come in this life. He wrote, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

From this verse we learn several things.

First of all, we need to be honest about our situation. The psalmist wrote, “when my heart is overwhelmed.” The temptation is to live in denial. Pretend that situations are better than they really are. Alternately, it is tempting to run from the problems. In another psalm, the writer said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” I think we can relate with this. Perhaps this describes your life at this moment. Yet we will never find lasting relief until we embrace the truth. The first step to finding help is to realize that we need help.

Secondly, we need to use the resource of prayer. When the psalmist wrote this verse, he was speaking these words as a prayer to the Lord. Our problems tend to drive us to our knees. In our desperation, we need to seek the face of God.

Next, trust the leadership of the Lord. The psalmist wrote, “... when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me...” Seek the guidance of the Lord. When we are going through tough times, many worldly people will give us their advice. Yet the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” When we cannot see the path ahead, we can trust the One who sees the unseen and knows all things. We can trust Him.

Also, we need to abide in the Lord. We should find our resting place in God. The psalmist wrote, “... lead me to the rock...” We are safe and secure when we are anchored in the Rock of Ages. We find rest when our resting place is God. The rock is not meant as a place of visitation, but a place to abide.

Finally, worship God from our place of despair. The psalmist wrote, “... lead me the rock that is higher than I.” Notice that the rock is, “higher than I.” When we feel overwhelmed, we need to remember how great our God is. Charles Spurgeon once said, “O dear friend, when thy grief presses thee to the very dust, worship there!” The Rock of Ages is higher, stronger and greater than we are. When we worship, we realize that He is greater than our problems, stronger than our struggles and wiser than our enemies. Our burdens get a little lighter when we realize that our burdens --- and our lives --- are in the hands of One who is greater than everything.

We are not promised a life free of overwhelming circumstances. However, we find help and hope in the One who is in control of all things.

Nothing is overwhelming to Him.