Psalm 46: Stressed out

 A Monster in Tip Toe!

Anxiety and stress have their own subtle ways of coming into our lives. They seldom intrude as ominous creatures that hound us during our days, take away our sleep at night, perplex our minds and topple down our lives. In fact, they begin as nice things like desires, hopes, duties; the small demands and pleasures of life. Every day harmless things that weave neatly into the fabric of our lives. Many of these become necessities, few of these become aspirations.

Soon the list of everyday things heap up; first a mound, then a hill and before long a mountain. Sometimes, as a small crack; a loss of composure and comfort; a small outburst, anger and finally we just fall apart…much like an earthquake, shaking away our very senses and defenses!

There is a fine balance between what we can cope with and what we cannot. There are many things that we manage well: personal life, demands of work, social commitments and our aspirations. Our personal lives have relationships to cultivate, commitments to keep, finances to meet. The demands of our work lives add on them; a deadline, some extra time for an additional assignment, some outstation visit to be made. All of us also have to meet up with social expectations; marriage in the family, some new guests in the city we had promised to take out and an important function in the society we live in. Quite a few of us have aspirations like a new house, a new car, a vacation or even a nice new pair of shoes which is just a little more expensive than our monthly budget would allow for. 

Each of these different facets of life add up to our daily grind. One by one they challenge our composure, our calmness, our ability to manage situations, our ability to be in control. Before we know it, stress has found its way into our systems and things are well out of hand!

It is no wonder that stress enters in tiptoes but once inside becomes large and ominous enough to barge around like a hideous monster that eats away our lives.

Boiling point, melting point

Stress, has an uncanny way of eating away our comfort and composure. It reminds us of our limitations, our boiling points. The edges and rough cuts in our personality and the fag ends of our resourcefulness.

There is just this thing about that person that I cannot stand. There is this extra bill that I have to pay. Here I have some juggling to do between my daughter’s exam preparations and the extra hour that my work demands. There is this point in that particular discussion that I am completely in disagreement with; and I have to have this discussion today! Here is yet another crisis in the broken family, the trouble maker for the family has put up a court case and there is running around to do to find a helpful lawyer; and I am expected to help. Finally, there is this writing assignment and I have to complete, and the topic is “Stress”!

Stress takes out the worst in us. Some of us get angry, others swear. There are some who tend to over eat or over sleep while there are others who sulk in silence. Some cry and cry, some blame others, a few resort even to end their lives. The hounds of death are hidden in stress. It is only a matter of time, and soon these hounds of death rips us apart, pushes us, prods us, chases us and corners us to the last point of our sanity, the melting point of our lives!

Earthquakes and Avalanches. Selah!

The earth gives way (Psalm 46:2a). We are stressed because, slowly but surely, everything that we depended on has given way. Our resourcefulness, our composure, our sanity. Our savings, our trusted friend, our skills, instincts and abilities. It is as if the very foundations on which we built our lives has given way.

The mountains moved into the heart of the sea (Psalm 46:2b). Our every aspiration seems forlorn. The mountain of our hopes have crashed down. We were hoping on our beliefs in the goodness of people. We were hoping on our arrears to pay our bills. We were hoping on or jobs to take us through. We were hoping for a promotion which never happened. We were hoping on our good health to help us come through the crisis. These very mountains have fallen down. The only thing that has escalated is our stress!

On Saturday 25 April 2015 a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. It severely shook the lives of at least 8m people and left many homeless.  Nepal’s major cities, including the capital Kathmandu, were badly damaged and rural areas near the epicentre were completely cut off by avalanches. Over 8000 people were confirmed dead. Even those whose homes were still standing slept in the streets because they were terrified by regular aftershocks.

Sometimes the crisis in our lives is far more than we can deal with. Like the earthquakes and avalanches in Nepal, we also go through upheavals in our lives. Occasions where the reasons for our stress seem justified.

Our refuge and strength, Selah!

Where is our refuge and strength at such times?

The psalmist writes, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” Psalm 46:1-3.

We hit the ROCK when we hit the rock-bottom of our lives. Even when every day demands exceed our power to cope with them, we find a present help, our refuge and strength.

This morning I was reminded of the old hymn “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee”. Reading up the story behind the song I got to know that “Toplady, a preacher, was travelling along the gorge when he was caught in a storm. Finding shelter in a gap in the gorge, he was struck by the title and scribbled down the initial lyrics of this hymn.”(Wikepedia)

Is God the true shelter in the storms of our lives? Even for a King, God can be a solace in times of stress. We can well imagine the stresses of a monarch in administrating an entire state. In Psalm 61, King David, the illustrious King of Israel writes, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Peter, the apostle had his own fair share of stressful days. We meet him early in his life as a stressed out fisherman. He has toiled hard one particular day, but his catch has yielded no fish. When he meets Jesus that day, his life takes a turn. He learns much, to follow his Master who lives out a difficult yet stress-less life. However, his three years with his Master ends one fateful night when Jesus is arrested and treated worse than a criminal. Peter’s denial of his Jesus is a culmination of his inner stress. He cannot take it anymore! Yet, Peter still finds solace and forgiveness in Jesus. He begins afresh. Years later, in the evening of his life, Peter writes to all of us “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”. (1 Peter 5:7) He has earned these words, through day-in-day-out dependence on God. His trust in God and knowledge of God’s faithfulness. Paul, another apostle would similarly write “for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed..”(2 Tim 1:12)

Peter's denial!

Peace like a river. Selah!

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 46:4-7)

Here I am, reading a list of unconquerable fortresses in the world. Janjira Fort in India and Sigiriya Fort in Sri Lanka are two such forts which remained unconquered despite many sieges. It is not that these forts were not sieged by enemies, but that they held on days, months and sometimes years of onslaught. What is it that kept them going? Each of these unconquerable forts had their supply of fresh water; freshwater lakes, ponds, even streams and cisterns from a nearby river.  

Sigiriya Fort, Sri Lanka; Notice the fresh water lake!

Janjira Fort; notice the water spots!

 When our prayers to God and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives are fresh every morning, when we drink deep of the waters of God’s word and will abiding in us; we become much like these unconquerable fortresses. No matter how tiresome and strenuous external circumstances may be; our reliance on God becomes a source of our constant sustenance. His living waters become our energy source.

Be still and know that I am God. Selah!

How many of us have been in a post disaster situation? The aftermath of a flood, an earthquake, an avalanche, a cyclone or a war. Death of a loved one, loss of a job, failure, a serious unexpected illness, financial crisis, dejection. Desolation. Brokenness. Devastation. Gloom.  

So often we are in war with our circumstances. We use every weapon in our arsenal. We use every trick and method we have learned in our lives. We exhaust every resource we have. Yet there are times when these are inadequate. These fail us.

Stress becomes our final coping mechanism that resurges our adrenaline reserves. Even this fails!

The final few verses of Psalm 46, takes us to this desolate scenario. Wars have ceased. Human armory has been depleted. The bow is broken. The spear is cut into two. The chariot burns in the fire. Human efforts have miserably failed.

What then?

In the midst of this there is a single clear voice that says; “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Whenever the word “Selah” occurs in the Bible; it teaches is to step back; think, ponder, meditate and realize on the deep truths of the scripture and apply it in our daily lives. Today, as I write and as you read this article on stress and its management, there is only one profound truth that I can share with you. “Be still and know God”, trust God in your situations and circumstances, draw on His strength for your battles. Let His joy be your strength and His presence in your life your calm and stillness.

Blessings! Selah!