Overwhelmed.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “overwhelmed”?
According to the Random House Dictionary, to overwhelm means “to overcome completely in mind or feeling”. Have you ever experienced this feeling before? Most of us have been in a place where our circumstances and our emotions seem to get the best of us and we in turn feel “overwhelmed”!
Something happened to me the other day that got me thinking about how I how have gotten used to misusing the word “overwhelmed”.
I was outside working in the yard when I heard the Lord ask me if I was ready to be “overwhelmed”. The question surprised me but I became acutely aware that I was not anxious but at peace. The Lord of the Universe (and, of course, everything else that was created) just asked me if I was ready to be “overwhelmed”! I find it amazingly curious when the Lord makes these sort of veiled inquiries. There is no pretense with the Lord. So, what was the Lord’s intent when He asked me the question?
The Lord is perfect and there is nothing deceptive or evil within Him. When I began to ponder the Lord’s inquiry, I got the image of Jesus’ mouth turned slightly up in a small smile as He was asking me the question. He knows my heart…He knows my mind…He knows the innermost parts of me. So, why does He asks these types of questions? Why did He ask ME this question? He does it for our benefit. We too often get “stuck” (or I recently heard the phrase “uncomfortably comfortable”) in our present situations and start to lose perspective on who we are but most importantly we begin to lose perspective of who He made us to be in Him.
So, there are times when Jesus comes along and asks us if we are ready to be “overwhelmed”. This is a powerful truth that needs to be buried deep within our heart. FYI – Strong’s Concordance defines “overwhelmed” as meaning “to be concealed, to be hidden”.
So, when the Lord asked if I was “ready to be overwhelmed”, the dreamer in me suddenly got excited. I am a dreamer. Some of my dreams are big, some are small, some are practical, some are outrageous, some demand divine intervention. Dreamers need their dreams to come true ever so often. I have big dreams…but I have a BIG God that hears them and I believe He is just waiting for us to step out of the boat and allow ourselves to be “overwhelmed” by His goodness, compassion and joy. It is His heart to come with the explicit desire to conceal and hide me within Himself. As the Psalmist wrote, “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7) or “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)
Is it not AWESOME that through the unmitigated presence of the Almighty we begin to understand His heart for us as His children?! I am ready Jesus to be OVERWHELMED with Your heart for me…Your plans and desires for me…Your intimacy…Your heart’s secrets!!
Come Lord Jesus OVERWHELM Your child!!
