Daily Devotional 11/28/09 Dealing With Stress

Cease striving and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

Have you noticed how easy it is to get all stressed out? I mean, you get behind with assignments at work or at school… the chores at home begin to pile up… the internal pressure starts to mount… and to top it all off, you get sick and just want to crawl in bed.

That scenario describes the start of my year. Up until this morning, I felt SO behind and SO anxious as I projected into the near future. As I prayed, I reminded the Lord that I needed sermon topics and sermon titles and some additional staff and direction for the year and this and that and the other… and that I needed all this stuff today!

After I rambled through my stressed out prayer, the Lord reminded me of one verse, Psalm 46:10 – “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Cease striving literally means to let go and relax. Isn’t that great! I came to God with all my stress, and He told me to relax and let it all go.

RELAX… HE IS GOD

All the things you and I need, He has. All the things we strive for… and worry for… and agonize over, He has in abundance. That is why He says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (the things we worry about and stress over) will be added to you.”

The best medicine for stress is just to remember that God is God… and you and I are not. You see, I do not have to come up with sermon titles and topics and direction and whatever else, all I have to do is sit at His feet and relax in Him and lay my burdens down at the altar. He knows what I need, and He will supply that need as I trust in Him. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thes. 5:24).

LIFE’S TOO SHORT

Life is too short to live it all stressed out. Furthermore, anytime we are all stressed out, it reveals a heart that is not actively trusting God. God did not make you to carry the burdens of life. He wants to carry them for you and work through you to get everything accomplished that He has for you to do.

Take time right now to lay all your burdens and deadlines and pressures at His feet. You will be amazed at the change in your perspective as you relax… and let go… and trust Him to do it through you.