The Waters will Not Overwhelm You

The past couple of months have felt like being on the verge of drowning, all the while fighting to keep my head above water. I’m in the process of trying to relocate my mom so she is closer to me. There are a lot of things to keep in mind, as far as her needs, personal expectations of the facility and the staff, costs, and travel distance. All of this leaves my mind reeling and often keeps me from sleeping well at night. Going forward, my intention is for my blog to be published by the end of the second week of each month.

As I write this, the verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 43:2. In the Amplified version, this verse says:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.”

 It is such a beautiful verse of hope.

So, although life can bring circumstances that weigh heavy, the Lord always proves Himself faithful. I have found this absolutely true. The Lord has shown me truths that have proven beneficial in my life. Truths that have buoyed my spirit. 

Maybe you, too, are going through a period of discouragement, overwhelm, or frustration. You find yourself only wanting these worrisome moments to be over. You yearn for sweet peace to replace the angst in your heart. Perhaps, your life has been taken over by all that needs to be done on an overwhelming to-do list that is continually added to by the needs of others. Or possibly, it is an illness that has laid you flat, and your heart cries out for healing so life can go back to normal. Whatever it is, when you feel overwhelmed it seems as if even the tiniest feather of expectation will knock you over.

Over the course of this month and next month, I want to share the encouragement the Lord has been infusing my heart with. He has been saturating my heart with His wisdom via His Word and especially one book I’m reading. Today, I will share from His Word.

One of the Bible verses that has helped me is Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP. These are familiar verses, yet when I personalize them, taking them into my heart and looking at my circumstances through them, they become new to me.

[5] Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. [6] In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”

Trust means to lean or press into, to rely on, to put your confidence in. My elevated level of stress makes me realize that I’m trying to control things and not leaving them with the Lord. I feel the need to figure it all out. I’m often choosing to lean on my own understanding.

Trusting Him looks different. It means I take my needs to Him, leave them with Him and look for Him to show me His answer. I don’t fret about it or lose sleep over it. It means I believe He will act out of His faithfulness to provide what we need according to His perfect timing.

My own understanding of things fails in comparison to when I choose to seek and obey the Lord in His infinite wisdom. And if my eyes are continually on my problems or worries, I miss the reality of His presence and His work in my life. I need to practice resting in His care and looking for Him to guide and direct me.

The last verse is a promise. It is what I yearn for. It tells me, if I choose to press into Him, seeking His wisdom, acknowledging Him as Lord, and following His directions in obedience, He will straighten my paths and remove the obstacles in my way. This is the place where I will find true rest from my fretting and anxiety. That verse feeds hope to my hungry soul.

My hope comes from knowing His faithfulness in the past when I have chosen to do things His way instead of my own. He knows my worries, as well as my fears, and He can bring about His perfect will without my striving.

He can do the same for you. I know my mind gets so overtaken with thoughts of how to take care of everything. It leads me to scribble out to-do lists and wrack my brain to figure out work things out. I must learn to stop myself. I need to take it all to Him in prayer and expect Him to bring His best about in this situation. Rest comes when I trust in His love and His sovereignty.

I pray you find hope and peace for your heart in this. Let's together choose to believe His promises are true and wait watchfully with expectancy for Him to answer. Trust in the Lord, He is faithful.