I am not sure where you are at the moment. You may be reading this early in the morning. Perhaps you are reading these words in the middle of your workday. You just can’t get that situation out of your mind. I am talking about that particular situation that really has you concerned.
- Perhaps you are very concerned about your high school age son. He seems to be drifting farther and farther away.
- Perhaps your financial situation is weighing on you. You wonder again and again why you bought that car and then allowed yourself to carry such debt on your credit card.
- Perhaps you wonder how much longer you will have a job. You hear rumors at work that make you feel very uncomfortable and insecure about your job.
- Perhaps you have been betrayed by a friend. You wonder if you can be close to anyone again.
- Perhaps you have a family member whose life is spinning out of control. You wonder how much longer it will take before she finally hits bottom.
These kinds of situations can become very heavy. You might wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the situation. You imagine what life will be like if things continue to get worse.
I have found great help and encouragement in the Psalms. The Psalms often help me shift my focus from the source of my anxiety and fear to the source of all comfort and encouragement. In particular, I have found it helpful to read these Psalms looking for God. I look for his name and descriptions of his work or character. I look for phrases that describe his action or that detail his promises. In recent years, I will read the Psalms highlighting in yellow everything that in some way says something about God. When I am doing this, I often pray aloud (if I am where I can do this) that particular Psalm.
Consider Psalm 100. Consider what this Psalm says about God.
- He is the Lord.
- He is the object of my joyful and exuberant praise.
- He is worthy of worship.
- He will receive my joyful song.
- He is our creator.
- He is the one to whom we belong.
- He has made us "a people."
- He will receive us as we enter his presence with thanksgiving and praise.
- He wishes to receive our thanksgiving and the praise of his name.
- He is good.
- His love endures forever.
- His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Jim,
Thanks for the reminder of the beauty of and help we get from “the prayer book of Israel.” I really enjoyed getting to know you a little bit more at the NPC. God bless you today.
What do you do if almost all these things you have listed are going on and you feel like it would just be better if you just didn’t go home–where all the reminders of the things that trouble you stare you in the face, and the pain makes you feel like you would rather rip all your skin off than face it?
I am trusting God. Circumstances just distract my mind from the things I need to concentrate on. I have a good support system, but the process of waiting for "something" positive in the situation is agonizing (issues with an adult child living at home).
Jim,
Thanks for this post. It is a much needed reminder that God is ALWAYS in control and his love for us endures forever. He is constant, perfect, and always listening.