When Overwhelmed

by Patricia Broyles

            Hath God forgotten to be gracious?

      Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

Psalm 77:9

Busy days and tiring days will come. When our spirit is overtaken by a series of circumstances, we find ourselves sinking and struggling to keep our heads above the water. Perhaps we experience physical fatigue, emotional distress and many times an empty spirit. Days where prayers have no words and where we don’t even want to be comforted.

Our family serves as full time missionaries and I can say first hand that one of the many things that can easily overwhelm me is the fact of having to deal with all the necessary documents as we move by faith across the world. Not an easy move. Many situations come up and the temptation to fear is great as you walk into it with your whole family. Times where we need certain things that only the Lord knows, times that we have too much on our plates, spiritual battles, physical needs, emotional challenges, many things coming together and making us feel overwhelmed.

Asaph in Psalm 77 displayed his overwhelmed heart in days like these. A tired spirit and almost giving up faith in God answering his petitions.

Maybe not even on purpose, but the psalmist moves out of those thoughts and pushes himself to meditate in God’s goodness, in God’s miracles, and in God’s deliverances. He acknowledges God’s wondrous work and redemption. The discouraging thoughts and struggles fade away when faced with God’s goodness and wondrous works. With that Asaph finds hope and assurance in God's continuing sovereignty, that He rules over the deep waters of his overwhelmed heart and like a shepherd leading his flock the Lord keeps him and leads him to still waters.

To purposely remember and meditate in all that the Lord has already done for us is a great tool to fight the overwhelmed heart. Count your blessings and see what God has done. Jesus also gives a perfect example that even when life is super busy and we are overwhelmed, this is a good time to take a moment alone with the Lord. Often Jesus went away from the crowd and even away from His disciples - people close to Him, to invest in time alone with the Father.

In the midst of our own personal struggles the overwhelming days will come, but with a mind fixed on Christ and in His goodness, those days will tremble before our God (Psalm 77:16). A God who is never late, a Shepherd that leads me and you to green pastures. In Him a sure hope is found, our hearts will be comforted and our faith renewed by His power.