“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”
Psalm 61:1-4 [KJV]
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It’s four o’clock in the morning. We’ve been packing removalist boxes and dragging around furniture for hours. There’s a horrible ripping sound as the bottom of the box I am holding gives way. Papers scatter everywhere. I plop on the floor, blinking back tears, as my sister holds her head in her hands. We’re exhausted. Overwhelmed. And we still have several rooms to clear before the workmen arrive at 7am.
It is easy to become overwhelmed by moving house, a new baby, major health issues or big decisions. That's what happened to me when my family moved house several years ago. But severe emotional distress can also be due to accumulating smaller circumstances or events. As Christians, we have responsibilities to serve the Lord, and are in a constant spiritual battle. There are to-do lists that keep growing, relationships that get rockier, and circumstances that become increasingly complicated. And the crisis moment can be triggered by something as little as a broken cardboard box.
In Psalm 6, David describes typical physical symptoms of being overwhelmed, including joint pain (v2), weariness (v6), tears (v6) and disrupted sleep patterns (v6). We are also affected emotionally and spiritually. Our initial response is perhaps to freeze or panic, then we typically do something-or anything–to make the feeling go away. We might lash out in anger, blame God, rush a decision, or procrastinate in dealing with a situation that worries us. Unfortunately, these natural responses either are, or can lead to, sin. So, what should we do when we feel overwhelmed?
The first four verses of Psalm 61 teach us how God wants us to respond.
Firstly, pray. David wrote, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.” (Psalm 61:1). Overwhelmed by trials you are facing? “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee,” (Psalm 55:22a). Don’t know what to decide? “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Scared stiff? A little anxious? “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee,” (Psalm 56:3).
Pray when God feels a long, long way away, just like David did, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,” (Psalm 61:2a). Pray when you think your problems are too trivial to bother God with, or when you think you should be able to cope because another person did. God cares about every detail of our lives: “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows,” (Luke 12:7). Sometimes all we can manage is, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” (Mark 9:24b). If you can, jot down the specific challenges you face. It will help you prioritise and remind you that you have given that burden to the Lord.
Remember Who we pray to. He is our Creator (Genesis 1, Psalm 121:2), our Saviour (John 3:16, Acts 4:12), our Father (Romans 8:16-17), the giver of perfect gifts (James 1:17), loving (Psalm 86:15) and faithful to every promise He makes (Lamentations 3:23). The worst thing that could happen to a Christian is to be separated from God’s love, but this is impossible; “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, not angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, not things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Like David, we should also reflect on God’s faithfulness to us. “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy” (Psalm 61:3). I’ve been overwhelmed lately, in part due to needing to find a new job. Yet when I reflect on my life, I see God’s faithfulness. He found me a job, post-school, during record unemployment rates; He found me a job, post university, during a global shutdown. God supplied then; He will supply now. Be encouraged as you look back. God has brought you so far, and He will lead you on.
Finally, commit to doing God’s will regardless of our feelings. “I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings,” (Psalm 61:4). When we are overwhelmed, doing God’s will also seems overwhelming. How can I witness to people or support others when I’m struggling to keep everything together? How can I keep reading through my Bible reading plan when I’m so busy? How can I not worry about what is going to happen?
Maybe you won’t be able to finish everything on your to-do list or can only read one Psalm. Maybe your circumstances will remain difficult for an extended period. God is more powerful that any challenge we face, and He loves us more deeply than we can comprehend. The words of that beautiful promise in Isaiah remain true for all children of God; “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).
No matter what you face this week, I trust you will be able to confidently say, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever,” (Psalm 73:26).
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