A couple years ago 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. One day, about two weeks into the semester I WAS OVERWHELMED. NOTHING I SAID OR DID WAS WORKING, so out of desperation, I said to myself, “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, the Lord inspired me to start the daily practice of anointing the door posts and chairs in my room 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 UNTO MY PRAYER…I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I…thou hast been A SHELTER FOR ME, AND A STRONG TOWER FROM THE ENEMY.” (Psa. 61:1-3)
David realized that God was so much bigger than his problems. GOD WAS HIS PROTECTION AGAINST ANY TYPE OF DANGER. God was his strong “fortress” AND WOULD WITHSTAND ALL ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY. Instead of being overwhelmed by the attacks of the enemy, LET’S BE OVERWHELMED in our God who knows our heart, our thoughts, and our words, before we speak them. LET’S BE OVERWHELMED with our God who loved us so much: “…He gave His one and only Son, THAT WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
LET’S BE OVERWHELMED with this fact: THE LORD GOD ALL MIGHTY, who is known as our Abba Father, wants us to spend eternity together with Him because we have: “…triumphed over him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb…” (Rev. 12:11)
LET’S BE OVERWHELMED KNOWING THAT GOD ALWAYS CARES FOR US!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham