Church,
Have you ever had a season where things just kept piling up? It has been a combination of transitions, unmet expectations, loved ones’ health issues, loss/grief, household pressures, concerns for my wife and children, worries for my extended family and close friends, and the list could go on and on. And that’s not to mention the burdens that can come with pastoring and leading a church back from pandemic status. It’s enough to make you want to holler! [scream]
Allow me to share a little remedy with you that helped me immensely. After I let out my scream, this passage of scripture immediately came to my mind:
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
I think there are at least two things that we can glean from this single verse:
1. WE CAN CALL OUT TO GOD FROM OUR BREAKING POINT. David felt like he was at the ‘end of the earth.’ Have you ever had moments where you felt like your world was coming to an end? When have things in your life gone from bad to really bad, to even worse than that? Let me remind you that there is no distance, and neither is there a situation that can keep your Heavenly Father from hearing and being concerned about the things that concern you. The main thing is to ‘cry unto Him.’ God wants to listen to the most resounding cries of your heart at all times, and if your heart is only capable of producing tears, God will take that honesty.
2. GOD NOT ONLY WANTS TO HEAR YOUR CRIES, BUT HE ALSO WANTS TO HEAL YOUR CRIES.He wants to carve out the broken places in our lives, soothe them with His healing presence, and replace them with more of Himself. Only by inviting God into your hurt can you experience a peace that passes all understanding, regardless of what is happening around you. So it is healthy to grieve but not beneficial to wallow endlessly, assuming there is no hope. In all things, Jesus is the ultimate hope for the world. His grace is sufficient for every shortcoming, and His strength is perfect in every weakness. So while we should express our sorrow in healthy ways, we should also be willing to give our hurt to God and trust that He will work something good from it.
The next time your heart seems overwhelmed, try turning to God in worship. You may not feel fully invested, but the Word of God never returns void. Instead, God will use even the smallest amount of faith to work miraculous things in our hearts. Psalms like this one are called psalms of lament, and they are in the Bible for a reason: they can be a model and an outlet for our worship when words will not come. Try reading through this entire psalm or another familiar passage and use those words to pour out your overwhelmed heart to the God Who is never overwhelmed.
In His Grip,
Ps. Devin
P.S
If you missed any of our previous letters, you can find them all on our website. Go to www.revivaltab.org and click on the tile that says Letters To The Church.
P.S.S 😂
In case you haven't heard, we're going GOING, back BACK, to 10 AM service start time. New sermon series [UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PRAYER] begins THIS SUNDAY.