Key Verse:
As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143 (NLT)
I prefer the loop trails over the out and back trails. I like encountering something different all the way around instead of the same thing from the opposite direction.
In life, I sometimes find myself returning to some of the same places from a different direction. Places where pressure and stress are bearing down on me.
I scramble through my days trying to stay ahead of them (pressure and stress). I stay busy in hopes of distracting myself from their presence.
I ignore them or pretend they’re not there. I fret and stew and hold onto emotions in fear of shattering into a million pieces.
I wrestle with situations beyond my control and struggle over how any of what’s going on in the world around me can be good and right when it feels so wrong and hurts so bad.
I brace against the passive agressive inuendos others serve on the self-righteous platters of their own understanding.
What I know and what I feel are in conflict and create unbearable pressure and stress. They build and hover around the periphery of my consciousness. Ever encroaching on and pushing against the force field of my faith.
I didn’t even know I had returned to a place of pressure and stress until I recently received Psalm 119:143 as my verse of the day. Wow! There it was! Like a sign post on the side of the trail reminding me there’s no camping beyond this elevation.
PRESSURE:
1. continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it.
2. the use of persuasion, influence, or intimidation to make someone do something.
Bing Definition
Stress:
pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
Bing Definition
Ezra wrote Psalm 119 for the people of Israel. Not to encourage them to pretend pressure and stress weren’t bearing down on them. Nope! He was acknowledging the pressure and stress WHILE reminding them how to find joy right there in the middle of it.
The first half of the verse caught my attention and helped me see where I was. The second half of the verse brought renewed hope. It was like the promise of fresh, sweet water after a long, hot hike.
Right there in that moment, I told the LORD I wanted to exchange the joy of His commands for the pressure and stress bearing down on me.
If you’re like me, it’s helpful to read and remember the LORD’s commands, so here they are…
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
These commands are consistent in both the Old and New Testatment. Commands given for the purpose of bringing joy to every Jesus-follower.
I’m so thankful the LORD grabbed my attention with His word. Thankful for the reminder that loving Him and others is where we find joy!
Wondering how it’s possible to love God and love people without pressure and stress bearing down on you? Jesus has given every Jesus-follower our own personal Helper. His name is Holy Spirit, and He comes bearing an amazing fruit. This fruit has nine characteristics, and each characteristic makes it possible for us to love God and others well.
LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!
Joy Challenge: This does not have to take a lot of time, but it needs to be time spent without distractions; time spent giving the LORD our full and undivided attention.
1-Be still with the LORD. Spend time reading His word (the Bible) and talking to Him (praying). Learn of Him and from Him. Tell Him what you love about Him, and thank Him for the good things He has done for you and given to you.
2-Cast all your cares on Jesus. (Imagine standing on the seashore throwing shells into the ocean. Each shell represents a person or situation you’ve been carrying around. Now imagine the ocean is the LORD’s arms.)
3-Prayerfully and intentionally practice sharing Holy Spirit fruit with others. Be sure to take notice which characteristic you struggle to share with which person. Expect Holy Spirit to help you learn to love well.
I’d love you to commit to joining me in this challenge. Leave your name in the comments section as a way of letting me know. Or share this post with someone and invite them to join you in the challenge.
Digging Deeper:
Psalm 46:10, John 14: 15-21, Galatians 5:22-25, James 1:17 & 1 Peter 5:7
If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.