Thursday, May 30, 2013

Am I Really A Stress-Addict?

Umm let me think...at times, absolutely.  There are days when "Accomplisher" should be my first name, and not for good reasons.  Though thankfully, since starting this study and joining the OBS group in general, my relationship with God is continuing to grow, and the result is less of my daily focus is spent on unimportant worldly stressors that I thought, at one time, made all the difference.  Now I am in no way immune to these stressors, and I think to some extent, they will always be a part of my life.  The stressors will always exist, but allowing myself to be reduced by them physically, mentally, and spiritually doesn't have to.  With God as my protector, it won't.  He won't let it.  He won't be shaken. 

TRUST
I did look up various translations of our reflection verse for this week, which I'll list in a second.  But as far as the verse mapping goes, I don't think I can do a better job than our fearless leader, Melissa Taylor, has done this week in dissecting the verse in terms of our parts and God's parts.  In the translations below, I'll bold in pink our parts and in blue God's parts. 

"In you, our fathers put their trust; they trusted you to deliver them.  They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed." NIV

"Our ancestors put their trust in you; they trusted you and you saved them.  They called to you and escaped danger; they trusted you and were not disappointed."  GNTD

"We know you were there for our parents; they cried for your help and you gave it; they trusted and lived a good life" MSG

The Message translation was my personal favorite and the one I memorized this week.  It is no surprise that God's role in these verses is nothing short of amazing and the epitome of strength.  DELIVER...SAVED...NOT DISAPPOINTED...ESCAPED DANGER...WERE THERE...HELP...GAVE IT...LIVED. 
At first glance, some of that may not make a lot of sense.  For instance, the ancestors were the ones who escaped danger...the ones who were saved...the ones who were not disappointed.  But who is responsible for all of those amazing acts?  Did our ancestors escape dangers as a result of their own strength and power or God's?  Did our ancestors save themselves or did God save them?  Did they help themselves, keep themselves from becoming disappointed?  Were they responsible for the extreme gift of life or is God?  God, and only God, is our deliverer, savior, up-lifter, rescuer, supporter, helper, and giver of life.  His job as the Father is to take care of all of it.  Our job, as His children, is to believe that He will.
This portion of Chapter 8 spoke to me the most, and is honestly, I want to start all of my days:
"Each day when we get out of bed, we have a choice to make about where our strength will come from to face the day ahead.  Will we rely on ourselves or will we rely on God?  Will we rely on our human strength to persevere, or will we seek the strength that God provides to our spirits, enabling us to get through even the most painful of days?  Will we continue to assume that if we try hard enough we will have the power to change or make changes happen, or will we realize that God, and God alone, possesses the power to do so?"

I loved these questions.  Even though part of me feels as if I have no toes left, these questions are blunt and to the point.  Will you or won't you?  Will I or won't I?  God has opened doors for me left and right over the past couple of weeks.  I'm not dumb enough to believe that this is something new.  God didn't just start opening doors to fantastic opportunities and speaking to me loudly through answered prayers.  He ALWAYS does this.  But it is I who am not always listening.  This is something I will work on.  This is how I want my life to be changed.  I feel strength rising in my heart and soul even as I type these words.  My feeble human brain will inevitably fail me, but my heart is firmly planted with God and I won't be shaken.  Speaking of not being shaken, read these awesome words from Building 429.  You want some early-morning get up and go, grab a cup of this song.  It will lift you up in a way no complicated coffee drink can touch.  God Bless!

"We Won't Be Shaken"
Building 429

This world has nothing for me
This life is not my own
I know You go before me and I am not alone
This mountain rises higher
The way seems so unclear
But I know that You go with me so I will never fear
I will trust in You

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
We won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we'll rise and sing
That we won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
No we won't be shaken

You know my every longing
You've heard my every prayer
You've held me in my weakness
Cause You are always there
So I'll stand in full surrender
It's Your way and not my own
My mind is set on nothing less
Than You and You alone
I will not be moved oh

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
We won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we'll rise and sing
That we won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken

We will trust in You
We will not be moved
We will trust in You
And we won't be shaken
[x3]

No we won't be shaken

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
We won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we'll rise and sing
That we won't be shaken
No we won't be shaken
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
No we won't be shaken
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
Oooh oooh oh
No we won't be shaken






1 comment:

  1. Thank you for this beautiful post. Love it and love that song too. So glad you are here at OBS with us. Debbie W. (OBS Facebook Group Leader)

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