When We Magnify God, Stress Fades
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27
Good morning and welcome to the very first Spirit of Stress newsletter! For those of you supporting me from the very beginning, I cannot thank you enough. Your support means more to me than you can know or imagine.
Although I was very eager to write to you about what stress actually is, because we use the term without having a vivid understanding of it, I felt compelled to write and urge you to remember the greatness of God, but before we do, let’s pray:
Opening Prayer: God, we come to you because we know that you are the Lord and the God of all mankind, and because there is nothing too hard for you. We come to you because we know that you are able, and our only source of ability, strength, and peace. Give us eyes that see and ears that hear. Give us a new mind to know you and a new heart to love you. May your word come to us with power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction. In Jesus’s name we pray, amen.
The truth is we cannot accurately magnify God. Our efforts to imagine the vastness of the universe and him holding it in his hand still fall short of the enormity of God. Like him, his power, love, faithfulness, sovereignty, and righteousness stand infinitely.
In Jeremiah 32:27, God makes a statement by posing a question. This is what is commonly known as the Socratic Method of teaching, named after the philosopher, Socrates. He was known for leading people to learn something by posing a question. But long before Socrates ever used this method, God did.
First, by telling us who he is, “the Lord, and God of all mankind,” he is reminding us that he is the Creator and the one who holds all power and authority over all things. This revelation settles all doubt, and leads us to the answer to God’s question, “is anything too hard for me?” The answer? No. There isn’t anything too hard for him.
I can vividly remember reading this verse during the height of my depression and in the midst of the worst season of my life, and immediately all of the doubt and despair that circled in my mind fell, and my faith was restored. Lies result in doubt, and truth results in faith, which punctuates the importance of leaning on the word of God in trials and seasons of uncertainty.
The Bible says, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). This is not only true when we’re first being drawn to Christ. It’s also true when we feel far from God and we need to draw near to him. Hearing the word of God keeps us and restores our faith in trials, affliction, and suffering. The word of God is an endless well that we can constantly draw from.
Regardless of what is causing the stress in your life today, you can have rest in the midst of any circumstance because God is able!
Closing Prayer: God, thank you for holding us in your mighty hand. Thank you for being a constant safeguard for us, for protecting us, and keeping us. Help us to trust in you, to learn from you, and to grow in our faith. In our times of doubt and despair, beckon us to the word and remind us of who you are. In Jesus’s name we pray, amen.
Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
Spiritual Tip: Meditate on the scriptures that bring you rest. Times of great distress are opportune seasons for God to write his word on our hearts and minds. Make time to sit in quiet and meditate on a verse that gives you faith this week.
Writing Update: I am currently in the query process for the first book I will be releasing – the Spirit of Stress: A Christian’s Guide to Resilient Living. If you’re unfamiliar, the query process is when you are attempting to become published traditionally as opposed to being self-published, which from my understanding, is about a 1 out of 1,000 chance. Intimidating, I know. But, I’m hopeful! My first attempt at querying is directly to Christian publishing houses. It takes months, which is really forcing me to wait on God. Do I like it? Not necessarily. But, waiting on God is a good place to be and things outside of our control remind us who is truly in control. If this round of querying is unsuccessful, then I will begin to query Christian literary agents. Many publishing houses will not entertain a query unless it comes from a literary agent. So, although the timeline of releasing my first book has been pushed back, I’m excited for the opportunity to put my faith on full display and see what God has in store for the future!
Exercise Tip of the Week (ETOW): Never skip the warm-up! I know life’s busy and time is scarce, but think of it like this, if your son was a race car driver, and he didn’t have time to make sure the car was safe and ready to race, would you let him race? No! It’s no different when it comes to exercise. If you only have forty minutes to work out, you can’t skip foam rolling, stretching, or movement prep. You can be a bit more concise, but you can’t skip it. Be smart, and play the long game!
Book Recommendation: Able to the Uttermost, by Charles Spurgeon
Chapter Outline
I. Able to the Uttermost
II. The Sorrow that Leads to Repentance
III. In the Place of God’s Choosing
IV. From Sorrow to Joy
V. Safe in the Father’s Care
VI. Salvation at the Cross
VII. Giving God His Due
VIII. The Christian’s Badge
IX. From Gloom to Glory
X. The Glory of the Grace of God
XI. When God Speaks
XII. In God’s Garden of First
XIII. The Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles
XIV. Held and Kept
XV. A Comprehensive Prayer
XVI. Satan with the Sons of God
XVII. Playing the Fool
XVIII. Opening the Storehouses of Grace
XIX. “While the Lamp Holds on to Burn”
XX. The Master’s Summons
Read it here for FREE!
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