Feeling Stressed? Read this…

It seems that everyone is feeling a bit stressed lately. We're constantly bombarded with news about the economy, food shortages, rumors of wars, and upcoming elections plus we are dealing with our own problems at home.

On a personal note, I've personally felt stressed lately with school starting back. Things move rather quickly and with transitions, in our home, it has been a tough few weeks. I suspect many of you reading this post can relate as well. It's during moments of stress that we find ourselves struggling for answers and we find ourselves asking if God hears or does God remember where we are. If we are not careful we will start to believe these things.

It's during these moments that we cannot allow our circumstances or feelings to dictate our faith. We must turn to the word of God. I was reading in Zechariah 10:11-12 and the Lord spoke to me regarding this season of distress.

"They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end. By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Zechariah was a prophet in the Old Testament and he was prophesying to Israel shortly after their return from exile in Babylon. He prophesied to a struggling remnant of people who were doing their best to rebuild the temple after its destruction. From their perspective, things looked pretty hopeless. They were outnumbered, understaffed, underresourced, and discouraged. Maybe you can relate to these feelings but you can have hope today.

Zechariah's name means "Yahweh remembers," and his name was a hope-filled reminder that God would keep his promises to his people, even after they had spent seventy years in captivity. You may feel forgotten about but God remembers you and he knows where you are.

We can't always choose what we go through but we can choose how we go through it. The Israelites were going through distress but the promise is that they would "pass safely through the sea of distress." You might feel like the waves are going to take you under or overtake you but they will not prevail over you. God's word declares that you will keep walking through the distress and that you will come out on the other side. The most difficult part of walking through the sea of distress is passing through the messy middle. It's the time in-between our entrance and the exit of our mess. No matter where you are on your journey you can rest assured that God remembers you and God is with you. The Lord will hold back the waves and will cause the wet ground to become dry so you can pass through the waters. If God did it at the Red Sea once, he could do it again. If he can do it for them, he can do it for you!

Finally, the Lord's power will make you strong. He will give you the strength you need to endure the trials that you are facing. He will not leave you or forsake you but will see you through the distress. Sometimes he delivers you from the storm, sometimes he delivers you through it!

Prayer: "Thank you Father that you remember us. Thank you that you hear us when we pray and that you never leave us or forsake us. We pray that you would continue to walk with us through the sea of distress and that you would hold back the waves that threaten to overtake us. We thank you for the strength to stand and the courage to keep walking when we feel like giving up. We pray for the supernatural strength of the Holy Spirit to be with us and may you go before us and make every crooked place straight. We pray all of this in the name of your son, Jesus! Amen!