60 Seconds – Overwhelmed

Andrew Murray wrote, “If an army has been sent out to march into an enemy’s country, and tidings are received that it is not advancing, the question is at once asked, what may be the cause of delay? The answer will often be: ‘Waiting on supplies.’ All the stores of provisions or clothing or ammunition have not arrived; without these it dare not proceed.

It is not otherwise in the Christian life: day by day, at every step, we need our supplies from above. And there is nothing so needful as to cultivate that spirit of dependence on God and of confidence in Him, which refuses to go on without the needed supply of grace and strength.”

In Psalm 61:2, David testified, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

The word “overwhelmed” means, “to cover, as with a garment, with darkness or calamity,” meaning that darkness or trouble seemed to have covered or enveloped his soul. Spurgeon, referring to this text, stated, “This speaks of when the huge waves of trouble wash over me, and I am completely submerged, not only as to my head, but also my heart.”

Corrie ten Boom said, “There is no pit so deep that Jesus is not deeper still.”

The prophet Azariah told King Asa, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you” (2 Chronicles 15:2).

The Hebrew word for “found” here means “His presence coming forth to enable, to bless.” By reaching to the Lord with the whole heart, He manifests His presence, enabling us to be steadfast and fearless.

In Psalm 29:11, we discover, “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

One of the meanings of “strength” is “activity in deep water.” God’s strength is available anytime we need it, but especially in the “deep waters” of life!

Another meaning signifies “twisted together.” This is what David meant when he declared, “The Lord is the strength of my life,” Psalm 27:1. He meant that his “life is twisted together with the Lord. God and my soul are as two strands twisted together. One may have no strength at all, but while twisted together with One that is infinite, the weakest will not fail.”

“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You yourself are the answer.” (C. S. Lewis).