In today’s fast-paced society, it’s easy for us to feel overwhelmed. We take on too many tasks, face tight deadlines at work or in our studies, fill our minds with loads of information by scrolling through social media, and go through things such as illness, grief, and heartbreak. But it’s not just us who struggle with feeling overwhelmed. A number of times in the Bible we can see people crying out to God because they felt like they couldn’t cope with what they were facing. Baruch, who wrote out some of the words of Jeremiah (you can read about him in Jeremiah 36), said: ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest’ (v.3 NLT). David said: ‘I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!’ (Psalm 61:2-4 NLT). God is our ‘safe refuge’ too. We can run to Him with everything that’s going on in our lives. When we feel overwhelmed, we can be tempted to think that God’s abandoned us. Gideon questioned how God could have been with them when everything seemed to be going wrong: ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?’ (Judges 6:13 NLT). But the truth is, God’s always there for us. We may not understand why so many things are happening in our lives, but we can trust that He is still good. And we can know that He will give us the strength we need to cope with whatever we’re facing. 

What Now?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed today, take a minute to pray this prayer: ‘Lord, thank You for promising to take care of me and for being my “safe refuge” (Psalm 61:3 NLT). Amen.’