"Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness,
and speaks the truth in His heart..." (Psalm 15:1-2)
In this psalm, David describes the character of one who knows and follows God. There's so much rich instruction in this psalm, but I want to focus on only one word: uprightly.
With all the evils surrounding us in the world it's easy to find ourselves wrestling with fear and anxiety. One morning, as I sought the Lord about this, He led me to Psalm 15 and stopped me at the word "uprightly." Frankly, this word has always carried a stuffy image in my mind, like the old maid in the card game I used to play with the kids.
When I researched the word in the Hebrew I discovered it means "to walk erect as one that traverses the high ropes." That reminds me of Nik Wallenda the daredevil who walked the wire over Niagara Falls. I can't identify with walking on high ropes, but I can identify with walking on the balance beam. It requires keeping your back straight and your eyes focused straight ahead. I can remember my gym teacher saying, "Where you look you will go."
We remember the story of Peter when he walked on the water. The minute he looked at the waves he began to sink. Only with his eyes focused on Christ could Peter walk on water.
Anxiety is like deep waters. You don't always know what's underneath - what might be causing it. BUT, God knows. When Peter began to sink, the Lord was right there to rescue him. These times require more diligence to keep our eyes on Him. God wants us to walk on water . . . over dark waters and sudden storms. Trust Him to show you what you need to overcome. Looking down, sifting through deep waters to examine the 'whys' of the storm will only make us sink. We have to keep our focus on the Lord. Whenever I'm troubled with a wave of anxiety, the Lord always remind me, "Don't jump in--look up."
I believe He is teaching all of us how to walk in turbulent times without becoming overwhelmed. Here are a few helpful hints that have helped me:
1. Keep the atmosphere of your home (and your heart) filled with the sounds of worship. (I've enjoyed playing instrumental worship music found on YouTube. This one is my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOB73qRVGJs
2. Your emotions are NOT your reality. Keep saturated with the Word of God. It's harder to keep your peace when you neglect time with Him.
3. Stay in fellowship - isolation makes us more vulnerable to attack.
4. Beware of the internet - we want to stay informed so we can pray, but not if its causing fear. Fear calls in the enemy. (see my blog: One Goliath at a Time)
God Bless you as you walk the high wire!