Stress Test

Dear Friends,
Recently when I started to feel symptoms that suggested I might be on the verge a heart attack, I asked Bonnie to take me to the emergency room. An EKG and a blood test pretty much ruled out a heart problem, but for safety’s sake I was kept in the hospital overnight so I could take a stress test in the morning. The stress test was negative. It turned out that bad pizza and an unusually stressful day had probably caused my body to say, “enough!”

Sometimes, we can find ourselves so focused on what’s going wrong in our lives that we overlook all that has been going right. In times like this, we can’t always check ourselves into a hospital for a stress test, but we can watch for signs that our life is getting out of balance. That’s what the Psalmist did when he wrote Psalm77.

In the opening verses you can feel the tension. The Psalmist had fervently prayed to God for help.
I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak. Psalm 77:1-4 (NIV)

In the verses that follow, when the Psalmist compared his present state to times when things were better, he wondered if God had rejected him. When we compare our “what was” with our “what is,” we, too, can begin to wonder where God is.

I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Psalm 77:5-9

Now, notice in the following verses how the Psalmist’s stress level dropped when he changed his focus from his present problems to what God had done in the past:
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples. Psalm 77:11-14

We may have times when we feel our prayers haven’t been answered. We may have times when life really stinks! We may even have times when we feel God has abandoned us. In these times, it is important to remember who God is, to remember what He has done, and most important — to remember what He still can accomplish.
I asked Bonnie her thoughts; she offered,” “God has given me more than My prayers could have ever asked for.” Isn’t that the truth?

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ

Comments? Contact Don.Sennott@sbcglobal.net