A DAILY FORMULA FOR STRESS
ISAIAH 41: 10
AS PREACHED BY REV. W. D. SCOTT SR
JUNE 1999
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THE PLEASANT GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A SIMPLE TRUTH, WITH A CAPITAL “T”? HERE GOES! STRESS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID! ITS NOT THAT STRESS IS ALL BAD. A MODERATE AMOUNT OF STRESS PUSHES US TO EXERCISE OUR BODIES, MINDS AND EMOTIONS, KEEPING US FUNCTIONING AT OUR BEST. BUT EXCESSIVE STRESS CAN CAUSE REAL DISRUPTIONS IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE. IN SHORT, IF NOT PROPERLY DEALTH WITH, STRESS CAN MAKE A MESS OUT OF YOUR LIFE! SOME TYPICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND REACTIONS TO EXCESSIVE STRESS ARE:
INJURY OR INCREASED ILLNESS
OVEREATING
DRINKING TO ALLEVIATE YOUR PROBLEMS
DISRUPTED OR ABNORMAL SLEEP PATTERNS OR SLEEP APNEA
LOSS OF INTEREST AND ENJOYMENT IN NORMAL ACTIVITIES
INCREASED IMPATIENCE OR IRRITABILITY
RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS AT WORK OR HOME OR BOTH!
POOR PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL OR WORK ENVIRONMENT
STEP ONE IN DEALING WITH STRESS IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE STRESSED! BECOME AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF STRESS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH!. MANY THINGS CAN CAUSE STRESS, FROM THE PRESSURE OF A DEADLINE TO THE CHANGES THAT COME FROM POSITIVE EVENTS SUCH AS A PROMOTION, THE BIRTH OF A CHILD, BILLS, JOBS, FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY, UNRESOLVED RELATIONSHIP ISSUES, UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AND UNFULFILLED DREAMS OR GOALS, JUST TO NAME A FEW! AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON!
SUCH WAS THE CASE WITH THE HEBREW NATION! ISRAEL WAS IN A STRESSFUL SITUATION. BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD COMES TO ADMONISH THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM. THEY WERE ADMONISHED THAT IN TIMES OF STRESS TO BEWARE OF IDOLS, AND ENCOURAGED TO TRUST IN GOD. FOR GOD HAS A WAY OF GIVING STRENGTH AND POWER TO HIS PEOPLE. HE THAT IS THE STRONG GOD IS ALSO OUR STRENGTH. IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE NEED EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES IS THE ABILITY TO ENDURE THE STRAINS AND STRESSES OF LIFE. I WANT TO GIVE YOU A FORMULA FOR STRESS. ONE THAT IS TAKEN FROM THE BIBLE. IT IS NOT MY WORD, BUT GOD’S WORD TO YOU AND TO ME. IT COMES FROM ISAIAH 41:10. ISN’T THAT WONDERFUL? HERE IS A BIBLICAL FORMULA FOR STRESS. HERE IS GOD’S WORD TO YOU AND ME FOR EACH DAY. IT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED. IT IS A PRESCRIPTION THAT COMES FROM THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, THE LORD GOD HIMSELF. BUT A PRESCRIPTION IS OF VERY LITTLE USE UNLESS IT IS ACTED UPON BY PUTTING IT TO USE! KIND OF LIKE GOING TO THE DOCTOR, BEING DIAGNOSED, GETTING A PRESCRIPTION, AND TAKING OUR MEDICINE INORDER TO ACHIEVE THE REMEDIAL HELP THAT THE MEDICINE WILL MAKE MANIFEST IN OUR BODIES! THE PRESCRIPTION ENABLES US TO OBTAIN THE REMEDY, AND THE REMEDY MUST THEN BE APPLIED, OR TAKEN. ONLY THEN DOES IT START TO DO ANY GOOD. IN OTHER WORDS… IF WE SEEK GOD, WE WILL SURELY FIND HIM. “SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALL YE UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR.” (ISA. 55:6)
BELOW FIND YOUR DAILY PRESCRIPTION!
1. ON SUNDAY...."FEAR THOU NOT"
AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER EVERY ONE OF US IS GRIPPED BY FEAR OF SOMETHING. BUT GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT OUR FEARS AND THIS WORD SAYS "DO NOT FEAR". HE COMMANDS THAT BECAUSE HE IS ABLE TO BANISH OUR FEARS. ARE YOU GRIPPED BY SOME PARTICULAR FEAR? LET THE LORD FREE YOU FROM IT. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED HOW FREQUENTLY GOD TELLS US NOT TO BE AFRAID IN THE BIBLE? THE CONSTANT REPETITION SHOULD BE THE PROOF THAT WE NEED THAT HE WANTS TO FREE US FROM OUR FEARS. PS. 34:4 SAYS "I SOUGHT THE LORD, AND HE HEARD ME, AND DELIVERED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS”.
2. MONDAY....”FOR I AM WITH THEE”.
“YEA, THOUGH I WALK THOROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL; FOR THOU ART WITH ME, THY ROD AND THY STAFF COMFORT ME.” PSALMS 23:4. HE IS WITH US! WHEN WE DEPEND ON HIM IT REFLECTS AND MANIFEST THE REACTIONS OF THE HUMAN HEART TO GOD’S SUPERNATURAL WORKING IN OUR LIVES!. GOD IS LEADING US THROUGH THIS LIFE AND I MIGHT EVEN ONE DAY BE LED INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, BUT I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, BECAUSE OF HIS PROMISES TO BE WITH ME. THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR SUNDAY BLESSING INTO MONDAY.
3. TUESDAY....”BE NOT DISMAYED”
TO BE DISMAYED IS TO BE DISCOURAGED. DISCOURAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE PREVAILING PROBLEMS OF TODAY. DISCOURAGEMENT ALWAYS COMES FROM THE DEVIL WHOSE AIM IS TO GET US DOWN AND KEEP US DOWN. BUT THIS WORD SAYS BE NOT DISMAYED. REMEMBER DAVID (I SAM. 30:6) WHEN HE WAS GREATLY DISCOURAGED. BUT DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD. VS. 8 IN 1ST SAM. 30 SAYS DAVID WENT TO THE LORD PERSONALLY AND WAS ENCOURAGED. IF YOU WANT TO BE STRESS RELIEVED, THEN DON’T BE DISMAYED!!
4. WEDNESDAY..”FOR I AM THY GOD”...
IF GOD, THE ALMIGHTY ONE IS OUR GOD, AND IF HE IS WITH US, THAT SHOULD PUT ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS INTO A NEW PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS A PERSONAL WORD...HE SAYS..”.I AM YOUR GOD”. IF YOU ARE BRUISED AND BATTERED, OR EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN BROKEN IN THE TRIALS AND TESTING OF LIFE, THAT THIS WORD FROM THE LORD RIGHT NOW AND REALIZE HOW PERSONAL IT IS. BUT NOTICE THIS....IT IS NOT THE BELIEVER WHO IS SAYING TO THE LORD...LORD YOU ARE MINE...IT IS THE LORD SAYING TO THE BELIEVER .."I AM YOURS!" PERHAPS THE RHETORICAL QUESTION IS “IS HE YOUR GOD?”. IF SO, THEN YOU CAN DEPEND ON HIM TO BE YOUR GOD JUST AS HIS WORD SAYS HE WILL!
5. THURSDAY....”I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE”..
THE LORD IS OUR SUPPORT. GOD GIVES US ENABLING GRACE. 2 COR. 2:9..MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. GOD’S STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN OUR WEAKNESS. SO THAT WHEN WE ARE WEAK, HE MAKES US STRONG. 2 COR. 12:10B.
6. FRIDAY...”.I WILL HELP THEE”
EVEN WHEN WE ARE SO STRESSED OUT THAT ITS ALMOST DIFFICULT TO PRAY, THE WORD REMINDS US THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US! (ROMANS 8:26) I DON’T WANT TO CONFINE THIS APPLICATION TO PRAYER ALONE. WHETHER YOUR NEED IS PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, HOME, BUSINESS, RELATIONAL, CONCERN FOR A LOVED ONE....THE PROMISE REMAINS TRUE! “I WILL HELP THEE”.
7. SATURDAY...”I WILL UPHOLD THEE WITH THE RIGHT HAND OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS”
JESUS SAID... THAT WHEN WE ARE IN THE FATHER’S HAND, NOTHING CAN PLUCK US OUT. HE SAID MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE AND I KNOW THEM AND THEY FOLLOW ME. AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND. MY FATHER WHICH GAVE THEM TO ME IS GREATER THAN ALL. AND NO MAN IS ABLE TO PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER’S HAND..JOHN 10:27-29.
THERE IS SOMETHING HERE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK...AND IF THIS ‘”PRESCRIPTION” SEEMS TOO LONG...
ON MONDAY ....BY FAITH
ON TUESDAY......BY FAITH
ON WEDNESDAY….BY FAITH
ON THURSDAY….BY FAITH
ON FRIDAY….BY FAITH
ON SATURDAY......BY FAITH
AND ON SUNDAY…….BY FAITH!
NEVER FORGET THAT HE WHO DIED ON CALVARY, AND WAS RESURRECTED PROMISED US THAT HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US! THAT MEANS THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES APPEAR TO BE,….THERE IS RELIEF, RELEASE, AND DELIVERANCE AVAILABLE. RELIEF BY HIS GRACE! RELEASE BY HIS POWER, AND DELIVERANCE THROUGH HIS BLOOD. AFTER ALL, IT IS WITH HIS STRIPES THAT WE ARE HEALED!!!
I LOVE THE SAYING, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT YOU MAY NOT FEEL “TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED”. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU CAN READ INTO THE ’STRESS’ OF MANY OF THE BIBLICAL REVELATIONS OF GOD’S PEOPLE AS THEY GO THRU TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES AS REVEALED BY THE WORD! BUT WE ARE HIGHLY BLESSED BECAUSE WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE BOTH THE PRESCRIPTION AND THE REMEDY FOR DEALING WITH IT BY THE WORD OF GOD, AND THROUGH HIS ETERNAL PROMISES TO HIS CHILDREN.
