Thursday, January 21, 2010

at that point....

I'm at that point again... the point where I am tired and overwhelmed... the point where I wonder if I will ever make it through this.... As I walked into the bathroom after class this morning I heard this gentle reminder: "Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."

As I was walking to the library I felt I should come blog about this... part of me felt silly because I am just overwhelmed with classes and there are so many others that are overwhelmed with much bigger issues... the loss of a child or the loss of a home or the chaos of destruction all around them. How can I blog about something silly like being overwhelmed with classes? And again, I felt the gentle whisper of the Lord say to me, "Overwhelmed is overwhelmed. Each person's "thing" seems overwhelming to them and yet... I am the Source of their help." So here I am... sitting at a computer and blogging about feeling overwhelmed and the Source of our help and hope.

Here is the full passage:

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.


When we feel overwhelmed... we feel like we are buried beneath the load of something... grief, dispair, anxiety... it's like a crushing weight. Or maybe.... we feel like the "thing" in front of us is insurmountable... like climbing to the tallest mountain top. I like how this Psalm calls it "A song of ascents". When we're at the bottom of a mountain... or even part way up... if we look up, sometimes it seems like the top is still SO far away. We struggle and feel overwhelmed... like we'll never make it to the top. I imagined myself standing in front of the mountain and looking at the climb that lies ahead and wondering... How will I ever do it? How will I ever make it? ....Where will my help come from? We know... our help comes from the Lord. His grace is sufficient... He is the Source of our strength. He is the Source of everything we need for the climb up and out of where we are. If you are lying beneath a load of grief... He is your strength. If you are lying beneath a pile of destruction... He is your way out. If you are standing in front of a mountain that doesn't appear to be moving or getting any smaller... He is the God of the impossible.

He knows the way... up, out, over or through. His Word says that He will watch over you. He won't let your foot slip, He won't let you fall. He won't take His eyes off of you... with each step He will be exactly what you need. He will be your shelter, your covering, your protection. He will be a shade for you when you feel the "heat" of what ever you are going through. He will keep you from all harm....even when it hurts SO bad. He will watch over you and He won't ever let you go.

He will pull me through.... even if I don't know how... I know... He will pull me through. He will take care of me. He knows exactly what I need.... exactly when I need it. He holds my hand and I can hear Him encouraging me to press onward. "Keep going... you can do it.... hang in there.... I'm right by your side."

Maybe you're having one of those days.... where you feel like you can't even hold your head up. Try again... look up... and you will see... the Lord, the maker of the heavens and then earth... He's there to help you take the next step. He's there to hold you up and push you forward. You can do it... with His help... you CAN do ALL things through Him!! Hold onto His hand and He will lift you up.

Praying for you today as you step past this point.

2 comments:

The Blue Sparrow said...

I love this passage, its one of my favorites. I loved reading your take on it and yes I agree, overwhelmed is overwhelmed. You will make it! God is our backup. *HUGS*

Oceanique said...

At that point... You end up doing things spontaneously and without a thought.. and I agree that you shouldn't lose that Hope in God who will make sure he lifts you up! It was a good read. :)