"The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea." - Psalm 93:4
It has become a habit of mine to start my morning prayers with, "As I walk through this day Lord, be louder than the noise." The other day I paused as I prayed this, because I realized that recently, the noise has been so deafening.
I'm fatigued and drained by the news. Covid variants out the wazoo, vaccine arguments, Afghan women being claimed as prizes to the Taliban, Christians being martyred in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, and so many more, natural disasters, friends struggling with infertility, and the Texas Heartbeat Act being termed an "attack on women", ugh!!!! I am over it. I am worn down. I am sad.
Where do we even begin to help? How can we make a difference when it feels like the wind and waves of our current culture continuously knock us back down the second we find our balance to stand again?
As I prayed that morning, God sweetly and gently reminded me; He was fighting these battles. All of them. That in the storm, when I can't wipe my eyes dry fast enough to see clearly, He is raging, He is fierce, He is undefeated, and I am on His team.
We weren't made to hold it all.
I read an article recently by a neuro-psychologist that stated "our brains are simply not wired to be able to receive the amount of news that we do". It's in our news feed, on the t.v. while we pump gas, and on every radio station. And, it is loud. We are able to know the devastation that is occurring on the other side of the globe in seconds. In one sense, this is amazing. We can financially support, set up mission teams, and pray. On the other hand, it is weighty and overwhelming.
I'm a feeler by nature. I hear a sad story of a friend of a friends friend and I weep and pray. I hold it heavily on me and I wait for good news. Knowing this, I have to cautiously receive information, careful to not read or watch too much news when my heart feels heavy.
God asks us to care for the widows and the orphans. He calls us to take His truth to the ends of the world. But, he doesn't say, "Jessica, every hard and achy thing in this world is yours to help with." No, He knows my frailty and He knows my strengths!
Perhaps we can take note of the things that really lay heavy on our hearts and choose to dive in and learn as much as we can about that one thing. Determine how we can help with that one thing, Raise awareness and education in relation to that one thing!
Lately, I have felt like my heart is holding pieces of sadness from 100 different things and it is paralyzing. So, I am going to choose my one thing God is asking me to help with and go from there.
We can face the waters.
"The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters..." The word "many" stands out to me. There are so many voices in our lives. We have the media, our families, the enemy, our own, and God's. Truth is, we can't possibly drown them all out completely. Even when we don't want to, we hear. But, as we listen, we have the superpower to take every thought and voice captive. We take that thought into the interrogation room, set it up on a lie detector and ask it, are you true? Are you helpful? Are you a thought that aligns with how God wants me to view this situation? Grab onto whatever the voices are saying and study it. Don't accept it at face value, study and determine it's worth. Ensure that it is obedient to what God's Word says.
We can be grounded in the waves.
Waves are rolling. They never stop coming. They may calm down for a bit, but they roar back up inevitably.
When we study Gods word, pray often, and do life with people that point us to Jesus, we have a foundation that can withstand a hurricane.
Crap happens. Cancer happens. Death is inevitable and people leave us too soon. Hearts break. And tears will fall, until Christ comes again. But as the storms flood in, we don't have to be knocked down without a chance of a fresh breath. We don't have to be swept out to sea in the worry and despair of our circumstances. We have a power that is not understood by the world around us. We have a relationship with a God who is mightier than any wave and who can calm any storm.
Take action:
Choose something that has been heavy on your heart from the world around us. Maybe it is within your own home or maybe it is a heartbreak occurring across the ocean. Whatever it is, would you set your phone timer for 5 minutes and just pray. Pray for Saul to Paul conversions. Pray for open doors for you to help be the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray for Jesus' refining power to be evident in the storm.
Research. Research and become knowledgeable about the thing that lays heavy on your heart. Find a non-profit organization or company that is already on the ground making a difference in your community or online. Get involved. Share and support them.
We aren't called to do it all or be it all. But each of us is wired to play a part in this life that only we can play. Pray that God would reveal that to you in the coming week. And, when your heart begins to feel heavy with the weight of this world, remember whose team you are on. Remember the battle is won. Remember the God who is louder than the noise and mightier than the waves is your Dad!
Love our mornings together!
I pray your coffee is hot and your energy is renewed.
Jessica
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