Daily Devotional

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah,
and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you,
Be not afriad nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude;
for the battle is not yours, but God's. -- 2 Chronicals 20:15 (KJV)

I'm familiar with feeling overwhelmed. I have had several jobs in my past that can lead to one experiencing this feeling, such as waiting tables, fighting a deadline for a publication, and being responsible for up to 22 young children - and their educational goals - at a time. It tempts me to want to shut down and back away from the stressful situation, but I'm not often afforded that option. The food gets cold, the deadline will be missed, or a child could slip through the cracks.

As a full time mommy now, I still have things to get stressed about. Laundry and other chores that get put off and then pile up; getting to appointments on time with a fussy toddler in tow; keeping up with a budget, etc. If I allow it, I could probably drum up stress in any situation - I seem to be a magnet for it.

Is this healthy for my family? Is it healthy for me? Should I bear the burden of stress so often that it hurts my spirit? NO! Would the visible stress on my face give a false testimony about my very satisfying and happy life? Would it possibly hurt my testimony about having faith in God? Could it even get in the way of my relationship with God? YES!

In the verse, we are reminded that no matter how daunting the task, we shouldn't be dismayed. In all things, we should lean on and look to God for strength and for the strategy to get through the "battle." Like any of our worries, we are told to lay them at His feet - He will get us through.