Will, I have been praying about a way to combat the “overwhelming spirit” attacking us trying to cause us to panic! The Lord reminded me of an overwhelming situation I was involved with.
I was a teacher at Cleveland High School, this came about because I was the Football team Chaplain there and the School Superintendent recommended me to become a teacher. So, I volunteered to teach in our Alternative School, where students are sent to us because they could not make it in the “regular” public high school. They come here because of fighting, drugs, carrying weapons, truancy or failing classes. Often, they are ordered by the court to attend and are not really happy about being here. It is pretty much up to the teachers to come up with innovative ways to keep order in our classrooms. We are told that we need to learn to be tolerant with these students’ disrespect and bad language, because many of them have given up hope of being “normal” and just don’t care about what they say or do. The second day into the semester I WAS OVERWHELMED. NOTHING I SAID OR DID WAS WORKING, so out of desperation, I whispered, “LORD, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO TO REACH THESE HEATHENS?” The Lord spoke to me in His wonderful still small voice and said: “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE HEATHEN.” (Psa. 46:10) The next morning, I started the daily practice of anointing the door posts, desks and chairs in my classroom and ASKING THE LORD TO HELP ME TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE “AWESOMENESS” OF GOD AND NOT THE “AWFULNESS” OF THE STUDENT’S ATTITUDE. It wasn’t long until things MIRACULOUSLY TURNED AROUND and then I saw God’s wonderful calming presence in the lives of these students. BEING OVERWHELMED IS A TEMPTATION FOR US TO STOP TRUSTING GOD AND JUST GIVE UP. David said: “Hear my cry, O God; ATTEND TO MY PRAYER…I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I…you have been A SHELTER FOR ME, AND A STRONG TOWER FROM THE ENEMY.” (Psa. 61:1-3)
LET’S BE OVERWHELMED KNOWING THAT GOD ALWAYS CARES FOR US!
-Bill Stockham