At times we can be completely overwhelmed by all the noise in our lives. By noise I mean all the chatter, discord, and demands that are often placed upon us. A good description of what I am saying was seen in a television commercial of the 1970s. A woman is seen on the verge of a breakdown as her toddler is crying hysterically, the phone is ringing, as is the doorbell, and the dog is barking as though an intruder is about to burst down the door. A pot is also boiling over on the stove as she prepares supper for her family. All these things combined cause her to place the back of her hand on her forehead and say, “Calgon™, take me away.”
Though I am certain that the pressure of so many frustrations calls for some sort of relief, I am equally certain that a bubble bath is not going to eliminate them; but there is a remedy and it is found in the Word of God.
In Exodus 14, following Israel’s leaving the captivity of Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued the people as far as the banks of the Red Sea. As Israel looks behind them and see the army coming in a cloud of dust with soldiers, horses, and chariots, the people knew that they had no place to go. They began to cry out to Moses and complain, saying “It would have been better for us to have remained slaves in Egypt than to die in this wilderness.” The stress level was certainly unimaginable! Then Moses spoke to the people saying “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”
All too often when the pressures of life come in full force against us, we may be like the psalmist David who once said, “If I but had the wings of a dove I would fly away and find rest for my soul.”
Escapism is often the desire of one’s heart because they simply cannot cope with the pressures of life. Some turn to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain and fear that overwhelm them. The problem there is that such things offer a false sense of relief because when the numbness wears off, the problems, the hurt, and pain still exist. True deliverance is to simply be still and trust in the power of deliverance through faith in the Person of God.
Again, Moses said, “Be still, and KNOW that I am God.” To know something is to be assured of it; to understand the reality of it; or to experience it. It is through such knowledge and understanding of God and His Divine ability that we can find deliverance from our trials.
Jerry L. Dunn is pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church, 605 E. Oak Street, Kingman.
