Do you like driving in rush hour traffic? It seems as if life today is a bit like driving during rush hour. We don’t want to be in the middle of it, but we’re stuck. The stress we feel is overwhelming. Rush hour is always a bad time of day to travel. The traffic is slow, but everybody is in a hurry to get home. Horns honk, people change lanes, and tempers rise.
I’m thankful I live far away from traffic. Stress is hard to deal with, and I’m sure William A. Dunkerley (aka John Oxenham) had his share of stress, even in 1917. He may not have had rush hour traffic, but there were wars and political unrest. This song is very relevant today, over 100 years after it was written.
MID ALL THE TRAFFIC OF THE WAYS
‘Mid all the traffic of the ways,
Turmoils without, within,
Make in my heart a quiet place,
And come and dwell within;
My mother was a very sweet lady who loved the Lord. She had more than her share of heartache, health problems, and pain, but her faith never faltered. Somehow, she was able to find peace even in her worst problems. She had what she called her “God place.” This was a spot under her heart, and when she felt peaceful and calm there, she knew she was in line with God’s will. Over the years I’ve come to understand that feeling of peace, in spite of turmoil without and within.
God doesn’t want us to feel anxious and stressed. He created humans and knows what stress can do to us. It can cause high blood pressure, ulcers, bad attitudes, and much more. Jesus knew that life in this world would bring turmoil, but He also knew that faith in Him would bring peace.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
A little shrine of quietness,
All sacred to thyself,
Where thou shalt all my soul possess,
And I may find myself;
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by life? People make demands upon your time. You have your job, your family, your friends, and they all want a part of your time. It can be even more complicated and stressful if you act differently with each person you are with.
For instance, at work, are you known for your hard work and dedication or for your gossip and dirty jokes? When you head home to be with your family, do you switch to being a Christian example of a husband and daddy and maybe even a deacon in your church? Have you left the job problems and work attitudes at the job, or did you bring them home with you? If you bring them home, then your home life will be stressful. You might ask yourself, “Who am I”? Are you a Christian who represents Christ at the office as well as at home and when you’re with friends?
The way to truly find yourself is to make time for God. Take time during the day to pray and then listen for God to speak with you. Let Him show you who He wants you to be. Make time for reading Scripture and just basking in God’s love. Remember, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). As you face life and its turmoil, remember, as a believer, you are a child of the King.
A little shelter from life’s stress,
Where I may lay me prone,
And bare my soul in loneliness,
And know as I am known;
Do you think that it shows weakness to need to retreat from the stress in life?
An interesting Biblical account of seeking shelter from life’s stress is Elijah. Elijah felt the stress of being a prophet of God when Jezebel and Ahab were ruling the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They were evil and had no love for God. Elijah had served God and tried to thwart the evil worship of demonic gods that Jezebel and Ahab had brought to the Northern Kingdom. Now, they were mad and persecuted Elijah with the intent to kill him. Elijah felt alone and was angry with God. He prayed that God would allow him to die. God still had plans for Elijah.
“And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee” (1 Kings 19:7).
It can be easy to criticize Elijah for being in a snit, but instead of death, he needed “a little shelter from life’s stress.” He was led to Horeb, the mountain of God.
“And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9).
Elijah was away from the things that were causing him stress and bitterness. He was feeling sorry for himself – as if he was doing so much for God, but God was ignoring him. We need to be cautious when trusting feelings. God never ignores us but doesn’t always jump to give us what we think we deserve. In this cave, far from the stress of life, Elijah was able to pour out his heart to God.
“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10).
Do you ever feel like that? As if you have done so much for God, but people around you are blessed that don’t serve God?
Elijah had much to fear because Jezebel was an evil woman and wanted to kill Elijah. Elijah was only seeing the immediate danger but forgot that God had allowed him to do some amazing miracles and protected him from danger.
When things in life get overwhelming, do we blame God for not doing enough? Do we forget that He gave His life so anybody who truly has accepted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can have eternal life?
God was about to give Elijah a lesson. First, there was a very strong wind that rattled the mountains and broke rocks. “…but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake” (1 Kings 19:11b).
Too often, we look for big signs from God, but he chooses to speak quietly.
“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).
Elijah needed that shelter of the cave in order to hear God’s quiet words. It was there that his resolve to serve God was renewed, and God gave him clear directions for what he was to do.
Stress in life can cause us to stray from God and feel isolated. When you feel that way, find a quiet place where you can pour out your heart to God. Then, stop looking for big, loud signs and listen for that still, small voice. God will speak to you, and there will be peace in your soul and a stronger resolve in your work for the Lord. Be sure you are listening for God’s will and not ignoring what He wants for you because it doesn’t fit your agenda.
A little place of mystic grace,
Of self and sin swept bare,
Where I may look upon thy face,
And talk with thee in prayer.
“Mystic grace” might seem like you’re looking for some Eastern meditation or yoga. Those things aren’t of God and must be avoided. Grace of God is a spiritual gift and comes from true faith in God. We tend to avoid the supernatural and the mystic because we want to avoid the evil that can lurk there, but we forget that the God we serve is supernatural. We must be sure that we know God’s voice instead of a Satanic one, and the way to do that is to study Scripture. God will never lead you to do anything that is opposed to His word. If you think God is telling you to rob a bank and give the money to the poor, that isn’t God’s voice you hear. If you feel as if He’s telling you that a sexually deviant lifestyle is fine, that isn’t God’s voice you hear.
God has given us Scripture to guide us, but we cannot take a verse out of context. All of Scripture must be taken into account in order to know God’s truth.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, and precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:9-10).
Study Scripture in a quiet place where you can talk with God about it. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He will guide our study.
Get out of the rush hour traffic and find a quiet place to spend time with God. Then listen for His still, small voice. He will speak to you.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).