WHAT DO YOU DO WHENEVER BURDENS ARE PRESSING IN ON YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me 
relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” 
(Psalm 4:1)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever looked at someone and wondered what’s going on in their life?
Although they might look okay on the outside, 
you get the feeling that inside they are screaming and thrashing about.
They may be stressed, worried, anxious and overwhelmed.
They could be feeling that something is pressing in on them 
and pushing them down emotionally.

Escaping from their situation might seem hopeless to them.
And, the more these feelings continue to build, 
the more they may want to lash out, strike out, 
or push back against the burdens that are pressing in on them.
Outside they look fine, 
but you just get a feeling that inside they are a mess.

Maybe this describes you.
Do you ever feel this way? 
Stress can attack us every day in a thousand different ways.
Kid stress, job stress, money stress, house stress, medical stress, 
relationship stress, and the list goes on and on.
As hard as we try, we can’t escape it in the broken world we live in.
We feel trapped and imprisoned by these things we cannot change, 
and they can weigh heavily on us.

When we read the scripture above, we can sense that the Psalmist has been there.
One of the words he used in his prayer was “relief”.
It literally means, “Make room for me in tight places”.
We can easily identify with that idea when we are burdened and stressed.

We know what it is like to want someone 
to come along and make room for us in tight places.
Someone to help remove the boundaries and burdens that threaten to smother us.
Our stress level mounts, our blood pumps in our ears, 
and hope seems too far away.

Whether it is the little irritations in life, or the big burdens, 
we are too familiar with those tight places.
Trapped in a car with a screaming toddler, or wondering about the future
of our job, or our spouse’s job, we know how the tightness feels.

Too often when we are in tight places, we try to make our own space.
We try to handle things independently and try to solve problems 
without ever calling on the One who knows best how to make room for us.
Some try to briefly forget their problems in many ways 
(alcohol, drugs, illicit sex, etc.).

We should do as the Psalmist did and call on God to give us relief.
God is faithful in giving us emotional elbow room, 
easing our problems, and offering us wisdom.
He shows us mercy when we call on Him.
He hears our prayers and rescues us from tight places.

ACTION:
The next time you feel stressed, anxious, worried or overwhelmed, 
call out to God; let Him find you in your tight place, 
and make room where you thought there was none.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God who is near. Whenever 
my tight places press in on me, Your presence is what I need. Thank You 
for offering relief to me in whatever circumstances I am in. Help me to 
remember to call on You for relief whenever I feel overwhelmed.”