Devotion 4.4.17

Worry/Anxiety - Psalm 28

I vividly remember the deep recession that happened around 1982.  I remember it for many reasons, but mainly because I lived in a section of the US that was heavily impacted by it.  The Port of Houston suffered dramatically.  I was in my second year of teaching, and our district relied heavily on taxes drawn from several industries along the port - a steel company as well as a company that built off-shore oil rigs which both shut down.  As the recession worsened, my neighborhood, a new development of nice entry level homes, began to see foreclosures and values drop significantly.  It was a mess, and its impact lingered in our area for years.

I had one student in my class that year whose dad lost his job.  I remember this because the day his dad lost his job, his grades began to "tank." He quit turning in assignments, and every day (in my faded memory), Bryan would be found not reading assignments but reading want ads.  The fear and worry of job loss had consumed the entire family.  Fortunately, my 23-year-old mind sought to alieve his worries rather than his grades at that time.  I sent him to our counselor, a great counselor, and asked if he would work with Bryan to help him work through this.

I knew of that in my own family when I was young.  Dad lost his job as the meat packing industry consolidated and moved out of Houston.  He worked at odd jobs and as a substitute postal worker until he found steady work.  He did what he had to do. 

The realities of life meet the realities of life.  On one hand, life may deal us a difficult hand to play, yet on the other hand, God is there for us.  "To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me... Hear the voice of my please for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary." (1 - 2)  David asks for God to listen, and later, he affirms God does listen to him and to us when we call upon Him.  "The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." (7)

God is our refuge, and when we feel the weight of life on us, we need to give that burden to God.  David reminds us to trust in God, our strength and shield.  Christ tells us this:  "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world, you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Pray and ask Christ for the peace to overcome the burden or worry you carry.  Pray that Christ deliver us from the tribulation we will all face, and that Christ grant us His peace.

Hope Men's Ministry