Honestly, whenever I am approaching a burn out period, nothing brings me back to vitality like the Word of God and listening to worship music. There is just something fundamentaly life giving laying back by the feet of Jesus, and allowing His presence to soothe your racing mind and aching soul.

And lately, for whatsoever reason, there has been a surge of irritability and grief, intermixed into one confusing space, jamming the natural ebb and flow of every day life. To be wound up like a rattle snake ready to strike at the first movement, and then to proceed to go home into the evening exhausted by being hypervigilant gets tiring pretty fast.

It gets to the point where I forget my mission of the Gospel, of carrying out Jesus Christ’s great commission, and eventually lose track of my focus on the face of the Lord.

So I turned to Psalm 91:14-16, where the Lord responds to the Psalmist:

[14] “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. [15] When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. [16] With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (ESV)

I noticed quickly how the Lord responds to the Psalmist’s position of enduring love for Him by giving him his needed deliverance. Recalling the times of entering God’s presence, there is a proven consistency of Him melting away the sorrow, stress, and insane nature of this high paced world I live in. Genuinely, even though my heart may be sinking while my head starts to fume, the Lord’s presence brings me to my knees, in determination to worship Him in spite of my circumstances.

Even if my posture continues to degrade and my energy exhausts itself, an answer from the Lord gives a comfort in hope, that my suffering is not in isolation and that there is an eye on me, watching me constantly.

Then to have a firm response from the Lord issuing a promise with a long life satisfied by Him only, and to reap salvation from this wretched earth and body, I can finally put my racing thoughts to rest.

May His Name be blessed forevermore.