When My Heart is Overwhelmed
From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help]. ~ Psalm 61:2 AMP
Even as a follower of Jesus, my heart is often overwhelmed. There are external pressures and internal pressures. There is cultural, societal, and political sadness. I have friends who are in desperate situations, and I feel for them. All of this weight is too much for me.
Apparently, I'm not the only one. David, the psalmist and king who penned Psalm 61 put into words what my heart can only feel: there is only One to whom to turn when I reach the end of myself. I acknowledge that I'm too weak, too small, and too inadequate to solve any significant "problem" in my life.
What do you do when your heart is overwhelmed? Our typical human response is to grasp for relief through substances, entertainment, relationships, food, self-harm, or other escape methods. Sooner or later, by God's grace, we realize that these earthly "things" can't live up to their promises of happiness. When we finally get a grip on that truth, it can be devastating if we have exhausted all our options and still have nowhere to turn.
Friend, if this is where you've landed, there's good news--you're uniquely, strategically positioned to receive what God has wanted for you all along: close relationship with Himself. There's a reason you are where you are: like the psalmist David, your next right step is to call on God. He is the one who can lead you (and me) upward, above life's melee, to a place of safety and peace.
Calling on God to lead us to higher ground is a lifestyle. We humans are are never up to the task of doing life well-- we are not equipped to handle things that are too big for us (Psalm 139:6). You can't be a "good" parent, spouse, employee, friend, or anything else without divine help.
We live in reality when we acknowledge the truth that we need God.
If you take a look at the remainder of Psalm 61, you'll see hope. God hears this prayer and rescues in a larger-than-life way. Having an overwhelmed heart is a vehicle for us to draw close to God and see His mighty work to save us. Our human crutches are useless--the sooner we reach for God, the sooner we'll find the peace our hearts are craving!
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©Julianne Knapp, 2022. Originally published 8.23.22
Even as a follower of Jesus, my heart is often overwhelmed. There are external pressures and internal pressures. There is cultural, societal, and political sadness. I have friends who are in desperate situations, and I feel for them. All of this weight is too much for me.
Apparently, I'm not the only one. David, the psalmist and king who penned Psalm 61 put into words what my heart can only feel: there is only One to whom to turn when I reach the end of myself. I acknowledge that I'm too weak, too small, and too inadequate to solve any significant "problem" in my life.
What do you do when your heart is overwhelmed? Our typical human response is to grasp for relief through substances, entertainment, relationships, food, self-harm, or other escape methods. Sooner or later, by God's grace, we realize that these earthly "things" can't live up to their promises of happiness. When we finally get a grip on that truth, it can be devastating if we have exhausted all our options and still have nowhere to turn.
Friend, if this is where you've landed, there's good news--you're uniquely, strategically positioned to receive what God has wanted for you all along: close relationship with Himself. There's a reason you are where you are: like the psalmist David, your next right step is to call on God. He is the one who can lead you (and me) upward, above life's melee, to a place of safety and peace.
Calling on God to lead us to higher ground is a lifestyle. We humans are are never up to the task of doing life well-- we are not equipped to handle things that are too big for us (Psalm 139:6). You can't be a "good" parent, spouse, employee, friend, or anything else without divine help.
We live in reality when we acknowledge the truth that we need God.
If you take a look at the remainder of Psalm 61, you'll see hope. God hears this prayer and rescues in a larger-than-life way. Having an overwhelmed heart is a vehicle for us to draw close to God and see His mighty work to save us. Our human crutches are useless--the sooner we reach for God, the sooner we'll find the peace our hearts are craving!
Subscribe to free weekly articles in your inbox HERE; your information will never be shared. :-)
©Julianne Knapp, 2022. Originally published 8.23.22