HEARTS, STRESS AND HEALTH (4)

“Trouble and DISTRESS have come upon me, but Your commands give me DELIGHT” – Psalm 119:143, NIV                               

No matter life’s challenges, God’s Word will enrich our HEARTS, DE-STRESS our lives, and ensure the best of HEALTH: “Trouble and DISTRESS have come upon me, but Your commands give me DELIGHT” (Psa.119:143, NIV). The Word of God gives DELIGHT in place of DISTRESS. Stress is essentially a matter of the Heart which robs one of any sense of peace; but a Heart that’s given to the Word will gain immunity over Stress: “Let the WORD of CHRIST dwell in you RICHLY in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your HEARTS to the Lord” (Col.3:16). Hearts that overflow with God’s Word cannot be overwhelmed by Stress. We’re not to avoid challenges, but to confront them with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word (Eph.6:17b).

God is pleased for all of His children to live Stress-free; hence the Bible is filled with scriptures that can dispel stress, worry, and fear. Our Lord Jesus Christ offers an open invitation to whosoever wills: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in HEART, and you will find REST for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt.11:28-30). The Lord invites us to Realms of Rest and Peace. He asks that we learn from Him – from His Word, and exchange our labour and heaviness of heart for His easy yoke and light burden, in order to find Rest for our souls.

In John 14:27, the Prince of Peace says, “PEACE I leave with you, MY PEACE I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your HEART be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Though life’s circumstances can sometimes seem to be overwhelming, to the extent that we’re almost full of stress, we can find comfort, peace, and rest in God’s Word. Trusting in the Word, we can cast all of our heavy burdens unto the Lord. In turn, He’ll touch us with His Peace and help us to remember that because of Him there is nothing to fear.

“I will both lie down in PEACE, and SLEEP; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell SAFETY” (Psa.4:8). The Believer is assured of Peace, Sleep, and Safety. Insomnia, the trend toward sleeplessness has been described as a public health crisis. The enemy would love to rob us of peace and security, and use stress as a weapon to destroy our sleep. But when we know that the Greater One lives in us, He will calm every raging storm, including the storms that try to rage within us. God is our Dwelling Place, the only safe Place from Stress!

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psa.55:22). When we hurl life’s heavy burdens to the Almighty Father, He will sustain us and not allow us to be shaken, to slip or fall. Once we’ve tossed the burden to Him, it’s gone! 1Peter 5:7corroborates this: “Casting ALL your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” LET GO and LET GOD!

“You will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa.26:3). We live in a world filled with Stress: at home, at work, as we drive, in politics and business, as we ponder our finances, and even in our churches! Worries try to overwhelm us in every area of our lives. In all these situations, God promises an oasis, a place of “Perfect Peace”; a realm where anxiety, fear, worry, and stress are banished; where there is only Space for Peace because here God reigns supreme! We can abide in this Stress-free realm if our minds are “stayed on” God: totally resting in Him, completely leaning on Him!

“Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God” (Phi.4:6, CEV).