Do You Feel Overwhelmed?
Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
Cursed be the day I was born! . . . For He (God) did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave . . . Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
Jeremiah 20:13-18
Cursed be the day I was born! . . . For He (God) did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave . . . Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
Jeremiah 20:13-18
One minute the prophet Jeremiah was extolling the praises of God. The next minute he was lamenting his plight and feeling overwhelmed and sorrowful! He even cursed the day he was born -- not exactly a positive example from one of God's greatest prophets, who was handpicked from the womb to fulfill a divine assignment!
One of the most refreshing things about the Bible is the truth it portrays about the lives of God's most cherished servants. They are painted in Scripture, warts and all. The Bible makes no attempt to present them in glowing terms or hide their shortcomings. Their faults are not hidden. This underscores the trustworthiness and absolute veracity of the Bible.
David, the man after God's own heart, was exposed when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Moses' anger and failure to honor God were preserved in Scripture for all to see. Peter's betrayal of Jesus was recorded for posterity. All this gives us hope as we relate to God with the reality of our frail humanity. God understands our doubts, failures and frustrations.
So, we see the struggles of Jeremiah -- depressed and almost in a crisis of faith:
"Cursed be the day I was born . . . Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?" Why all this pain and trouble?
That is how Jeremiah felt when the going got tough. He felt exhausted from the relentless efforts of his enemies to discredit him and the message from God. He felt he was on a mission impossible and that his days were going to end in shame and disgrace.
Question: Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Does your task ever seem hopeless? The truth is: you are not alone! The prophet Elijah felt overwhelmed and asked God to end his life. Moses questioned God about why he had to bear the burdens of ungrateful Israel. Even our Lord Jesus admitted in the garden of Gethsemane:"My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death."
The good news is that Jesus has promised sufficient grace to see you through your situation.
Listen to His words: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So do you feel overwhelmed? Take a deep breath: God's grace is sufficient for you.
One of the most refreshing things about the Bible is the truth it portrays about the lives of God's most cherished servants. They are painted in Scripture, warts and all. The Bible makes no attempt to present them in glowing terms or hide their shortcomings. Their faults are not hidden. This underscores the trustworthiness and absolute veracity of the Bible.
David, the man after God's own heart, was exposed when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Moses' anger and failure to honor God were preserved in Scripture for all to see. Peter's betrayal of Jesus was recorded for posterity. All this gives us hope as we relate to God with the reality of our frail humanity. God understands our doubts, failures and frustrations.
So, we see the struggles of Jeremiah -- depressed and almost in a crisis of faith:
"Cursed be the day I was born . . . Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?" Why all this pain and trouble?
That is how Jeremiah felt when the going got tough. He felt exhausted from the relentless efforts of his enemies to discredit him and the message from God. He felt he was on a mission impossible and that his days were going to end in shame and disgrace.
Question: Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Does your task ever seem hopeless? The truth is: you are not alone! The prophet Elijah felt overwhelmed and asked God to end his life. Moses questioned God about why he had to bear the burdens of ungrateful Israel. Even our Lord Jesus admitted in the garden of Gethsemane:"My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death."
The good news is that Jesus has promised sufficient grace to see you through your situation.
Listen to His words: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So do you feel overwhelmed? Take a deep breath: God's grace is sufficient for you.
Prayer: Father, there are many times when I feel overwhelmed, but I take hope in the sufficiency of your grace. Amen.
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