There are so many things that stress us out, and everyone we talk to will have a solution on how we should deal with that stress. So from the Word of God, let us meditate today on what it teaches us about relieving ourselves of stresses in our life.

Bible Reference: Psalm 32:1-5
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: It is a great blessing when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done, when their sins are erased. It is a great blessing when the Lord says they are not guilty, when they don’t try to hide their sins. Lord, I prayed to you again and again, but I did not talk about my sins. So I only became weaker and more miserable. Every day you made life harder for me. I became like a dry land in the hot summertime. Selah But then I decided to confess my sins to the Lord. I stopped hiding my guilt and told you about my sins. And you forgave them all! Selah

OBSERVATION: There are so many things that stress us out, and everyone we talk to will have a solution on how we should deal with that stress. So from the Word of God, let us meditate today on what it teaches us about relieving ourselves of stresses in our life.

APPLICATION: I’m certainly not trained to deal professionally with how one should handle the stress in their lives (that’s my legal disclosure!!!!). However, from the Word of God we can see what David said about his weaknesses, his challenges, his sin; his forgiveness and how his confession led to his happiness. Today David is challenging us to consider how easy it is to try and cover up our sin and pretend it doesn’t exist. Also, how miserable we are when we go around pretending all is well. Friends, I believe that is the first inhibitor for stress – when we know something is going on in our lives, but we pretend to those around us that all is well. Unfortunately I believe that we unconsciously show our pretense to God also, for we follow our own desires, knowing that often these things are contrary to the Word of God, and to what He desires of us. We just go on about our day pretending that all is well. In my opinion, this is the source of stress, for we are covering up something that we know should be done or said differently. But praise be to God, dear friends, the Psalmist showed us that there was excellent results for him when he followed the normal pattern designed by God. You see, God set the pattern for His children so that they might be pleasing to Him in every way. However, in all of our wisdom, we somehow figured that we could go our own way and do our own thing, and God would be just as happy seeing us struggle along. But I believe that God placed an uneasiness in us, that some may call ‘stress’, because He wanted us to know when we were doing something that He isn’t happy about. Let me encourage you to re-read the last part of our focal verses today, and I believe that like me, you too might notice the loud sigh of relief by David as he concluded that God heard his burden for forgiveness and He forgave him. I pray that our goal today might be that we live as an open book before God – nothing to be worried about, holding nothing back, exposing everything to God that bothers us in the very least. God knows us friend, and He knows what we may be covering up. But I believe that He longs to see us reconcile our faults before Him, and seek His forgiveness, so that we may be one with Him. Consider making this the day that you relieve yourself of the stress in your life. Seek God while He may be found. Expose your heart to Him, so that He might cleanse it and make you whole. Be one with your Maker my friend, and allow your mind to be at rest in Him!

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, we approach You as Your loving children that are broken and filled with stress over trying to do ‘life’ on our own. Please speak directly to our innermost person today and help us to acknowledge our shortcomings, and our inability to handle this complex world on our own while thinking that we could still please You. Without You we are broken, without any hope of repair. Please humble our hearts so that we might surrender our all to You and give You full reign in every aspect of our being, so that You may be honored and praised by all who may encounter us. AMEN!