Outnumbered

Groceries cost more. Bills stretch further than they used to. Everybody seems to be working harder just to keep everything moving.

And somehow, while people are already carrying all of that, the world keeps getting louder.

Phones buzzing. Notifications. News alerts. Opinions. Arguments. Another thing we're supposed to worry about. Another thing demanding our attention.

Everything is moving faster, but I don't know if any of us are actually getting anywhere faster.

And I haven't been immune to it either.

Lately I've been fighting my own flesh.

Trying to restrain myself from reacting in ways that might feel justified in the moment but don't benefit the spiritual journey I'm trying to walk.

I've been looking at everything sitting in front of me and wondering how I'm supposed to overcome it all.

Some days the odds just feel stacked.

Some days I feel outnumbered by them.

Maybe you've felt that way too.

Like you're trying to do the right thing. Stay disciplined. Trust Elohiym (God). Control your reactions. Keep moving forward.

And life just keeps putting another thing in front of you.

That's why my message this week isn't really a message at all.

It's more like an admission that I've somehow found myself in the VIP section of the struggle bus.

I don't have all the answers.

I'm still fighting my own flesh.

Still learning when to stay quiet.

Still trying not to react in ways that might feel good for five minutes but set me back spiritually.

So this week, I don't want to talk at you.

I just want to pray with you.

David wrote in Psalm 143:

David didn't hide behind some polished version of faith where everything was fine because he trusted Elohiym.

He admitted that he was tired.

Overwhelmed.

Dismayed.

But a few verses later, his prayer wasn't simply for the pressure to disappear.

He asked:

That's my prayer right now too.

Not just,

Father, get me out of this.

But:

Father, teach me how to walk through this.

So let's pray.

Father,

We come to You carrying more than we probably admit.

Some of us are worried about money.

Some are exhausted from trying to keep a household together.

Some are working harder and still wondering why it feels like we're falling further behind.

Some are staring at obstacles that feel bigger than us.

And some of us are simply tired of fighting ourselves.

Our flesh wants to react.

It wants to get angry.

It wants to say the thing.

Make the decision.

Take control.

Fight back.

Help us slow down before we allow a temporary emotion to pull us away from the person You're shaping us to become.

As David prayed:

Put that guard over us too.

Give us restraint when anger feels justified.

Give us patience when frustration feels easier.

Give us wisdom before we respond.

Give us discernment when fear is being pushed at us from every direction.

And when the odds in front of us make us feel outnumbered, remind us that we were never supposed to overcome everything in our own strength.

Provide for our homes.

Protect our families.

Give us wisdom with what You've placed in our hands.

Teach us contentment when the world constantly tells us we need more.

Quiet the noise when our minds won't stop running.

And when our spirits grow faint within us, remind us that being tired doesn't mean You've left us.

Teach us Your will.

Teach us how to respond.

Teach us when to move and when to be still.

Teach us when to speak and when silence is the wiser answer.

And when we can't see very far ahead, give us enough faith to take the next step anyway.

We don't need to understand the entire road.

We just need You to guide the next step.

In the name of Yahusha Ha’Mashiach (Jesus Christ),

Amen.

Maybe that's all I had for you this week.

Not an answer.

Just an admission that I'm on the struggle bus too.

And a prayer that none of us forget Who we're riding with.

— Javier