"I have so much to do. I am so stressed out!" I've heard that phrase lately by several people and each time I hear it, it rings a sour note in my ear. I had even noticed in my own life how that could happen with so much to do and thinking there's not enough time to accomplish all I needed to do.

As I began to meditate on this phrase and ask God about it, I looked up the word "stress" in the dictionary and found that it means "tension, strain, overexerting or severe exertion, to struggle or make a desperate effort."

I think we can all relate to feeling "stress" at some time or another in our lives. So how do we overcome this overwhelming feeling of having so much to do in such little time?

The Lord reminded me of Isaiah 40:31 which says,

but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Waiting On The Lord
How can we be sure that this verse applies to us? Isaiah 40:28-29 says,

Hast thou not known? Hast thou now heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

There we have it. Our heavenly Father has made all this available to us through Him. The Bible says to "wait" upon the Lord. I looked up the definition of the word "wait" and it says to remain in expectation or much like a waiter or waitress would serve or take care of one in a restaurant.

It's the same way when we minister unto the Lord; we expect the Lord to renew our strength. It continues to say, "they shall mount up with wings as eagles." The word "mount" means to ascend; climb up or upon, to grow in intensity, to set in position for use. I interpreted that as "soaring above stress."

The Word also says that we can run and not grow weary. To "run" means to move swiftly, to continue in any specified fashion. "Weary" is defined as tired, fatigued, or exhausted.

You don't have to be exhausted anymore. Isn't that a wonderful thought? You can remain constant, going about your daily affairs without ever being fatigued because your strength is in God.

"They shall walk and not faint." To "walk" means to advance by alternate steps, to travel slowly, to go restlessly about. "Faint" is defined as feeble, weak, spiritless, giving up, barely perceptible, dim. Have you ever felt like giving up? Well, in order to "walk" the way this definition describes, we need to take each step at a time and not overdo ourselves.

Remember Where You Draw Your Strength
Many times when I look at my calendar and see that everyday is filled with something to do, I have the opportunity to become overwhelmed. I sometimes feel like saying, "when do I get a day to rest?" But after reading this scripture in Isaiah, I realize that my strength is in God. I don't have to rely on my own strength.

Now, I look at each day one day at a time. In fact, I make a list of things to do for each day and as I complete them, I check them off. Instead of looking at the whole picture, I break it up into days and each day I endeavor to accomplish that day's goals.

A Necessary Beginning
I encourage you to do the same. Quit relying on your own strength to get everything done. First, and foremost, start each and every day in prayer. That is the key to soaring above stress. The Holy Spirit is here for you to encourage, strengthen and help you get everything done, but you've got to call on Him. He is ready and available all the time.

Spending quiet times with the Lord will prepare you for the day ahead. There's nothing like spending time in prayer that can bring such peace to your heart and mind.

So, if you find yourself getting stressed out or run down during the day, just stop for a moment, find a quiet, peaceful place in your home and visit with the Lord. Tell Him what's on your mind. Ask Him to help you, and He will renew your strength and cause you to soar above stress in your life!

Don't wait any longer, make spending time with the Lord your number one priority today and everything else will fall into place!

Copyright © Jerry Savelle Ministries International
All rights reserved. Used by permission.