Overwhelmed

Scripture Focus: "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me." - John 14:1

Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed because of circumstances over which you have no control?  The definition of overwhelmed is: "bury or drown beneath a huge mass." Life most times can turn into our huge mass and we drown underneath it. We are to go to Christ in times of trouble. If we go to Him, we can make it through our most challenging circumstances. 

In the verse mentioned at the beginning of the blog, it is God's words to his disciples. They were instructed not to worry and to believe in God. The first phrase in the verse says "Let not your heart be troubled." The word troubled in the Greek means "to take away calmness of mind." It imples an action that strikes a person's spirit with fear and doubt. We are not supposed to have troubled hearths and we are not to be filled with fear and doubt. We're instructed to keep our hearts and minds clear and calm. Trusting in God and in His Son. What do we need to know about God in order to accomplish this? 

Psalm 37:39-40 says: "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." What is the person facing trouble supposed to do? TRUST IN HIM. 

Proverbs 18:10 is one of my favorite verses and really stood out to me during this lesson. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." If you think about what a tower is used for and what it is made of the verse really makes sense. A tower is used as a lookout and is usually made of stone. Many times in the Bible Christ is called a rock or a stone. This is a symbol of strength. In the town where I grew up, we have a wonderful place called High Pastures. It is an outdoor Christian retreat that churches and groups can use for gatherings. Every year in June for an entire weekend, I spent my time at that retreat. You could take no electronics, you shared bunks and rooms with girls your age (or boys if you were in the boys camp), but you came together to worship, eat, and explore God's word. There was one spot that always held a special place in my heart: the Prayer Tower. The photo to the left is a real picture of it. I wish there were photos of the interior, but I don't have any. The lady who owns the property was an atheist, but when she bought the land, she realized that there had to be a greater source that could create such majesty in the mountains. 

I'll add the description of the building of the tower from the designer: "It seemed that the place of prayer should be round, with participants facing one another rather than in formal rows. Also, the windows should be high up so that they would not look out on the world, but at the treetops, the clouds and the sky. It would be like a jug, a stockade made of upright timbers, a silo or a stone tower. These all had meanings such as the “wine of life,” projection or provision! WOW!  So I planned a tower.  There must be a little entrance vestibule so people could lay down their burdens, with shelves on one side. On the other side would be coat hooks so they could take off their wrappings. Then they would find themselves in the arms of Jesus. The arms would come from the backs of the seats, so that we could lean into them. But isn’t there some requirement before we are received by him? Yes. We must receive the message of the cross. I would put a cross on the door through which we enter into His presence.The altar would be on the north and the entrance on the south. Above the shoulders to which the arms are attached there must a round window representing the “Sun of Righteousness,” as Malachi calls Him." - By Betty Motsinger.

The things in this life can become too much at times and we begin to get overwhelmed. When this happens, all we have to do is run to our tower. It will give us the strength, protection, and vision that we need no matter how many times we need it. 

A few more verses to consider as a final thought: Psalm 20:1, 5, and 7

"The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble: the name of the God of Jacob defend thee."

"We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions."

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."

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