Sometimes our hearts are heavy. Thoughts bounce off the internal walls at an uncontrollable pace. Giving us no time to settle our thoughts with reason and logic, no, those will not do. There are some moments of internal franticness that you cannot reason yourself out of. Moments where you feel much more fragile than you want to be, then you portray to be.

I had a moment like that not too long ago. My heart was heavy. My soul was downcast. I could not reason my heart back to peace. So what was I to do? I did not feel much like reading my bible at that moment. Neither did I feel like praying. No, these are ‘real matters’ I said to myself. Not spiritual ones. I need to solve the issue, I need to fix it, then I will feel better.

Then I heard a small voice from within, “what if you cannot fix it?”

I sat for a few moments, trying my best to figure out what to do. At that moment, turning to the Bible felt so pointless. What good can this possibly do me? “Fine, I’ll do it,” I said, as I opened to my Psalm of the day. Psalm 46. And I read these lines:

God is our refuge and strength A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear Be still, and know that I am God.

What should we focus on?

There are times to focus on your present circumstances and situations. We cannot run away from the burdens of our life and we cannot ignore them. But there are times to lay down the pack, to stop your journey, and sit down under a tree to breathe. That is a very different thing than pretending nothing is wrong. Psalm 46 was a reminder for me. God is my refuge in this burden. I can go to Him and hide, seek shelter under Him. He will be a comfort to me from the rain. He will be a friend who listens. He will restore me to health. Refuge.

He will also be my strength. There are times to lay the pack down and rest, and there are times to put the burden back on and continue forward on your journey of working through it. When it is time to get back up again, God will be my strength. He is not only a refuge for me, then staying behind when I leave the safety of his care. No, He goes with me. He is a very present help in trouble. And because of these three realities, I will not fear.

Amidst my crazy internal burden, how do I bring myself peace? By remembering to “be still and know that He is God”. Being still is hard. But a house is no refuge if you go in and continue to carry the burden, always doing.

Take your burdens to God

The next time the burdens of being faithful for the rest of your life weigh you down. Or relational strife between friends or family tear you up. Or loss and grief over the end of something…or someone is a burden too heavy to bear and you just see no way forward. When sadness, anger, anxiety, or anything else that is heavy, settles into your heart casting a shadow over you, and you cannot find peace - remember Psalm 46.

Because in taking our burdens to God can we find true peace. A peace that doesn’t rest on everything ending perfectly with a neat little bow. Because that is not realistic. People move, friends die, families fight. We need something to sustain us in the reality of this world. Not a peace that makes life seem rosy and always peaceful, because it isn’t that! No, we need a peace that meets us in our current circumstances.

I found that in Psalm 46 the other day. Could I encourage you to take 5 minutes today. Be still. Turn off the phones, the TV, the computer. Put the book down and don’t say a word. Be still. And in so doing, reflect on the fact that He is God. Let that truth settle over you. He is in control of all things. Nothing is outside of his perfect plan. He loves you. He is your refuge. He is your strength. And if you are in his hands, you will be ok. We can be still because He is God.

Being still with you,

Josh.