Psalm 62:1-2
Only God can save me, and I calmly wait for him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and the fortress where I am secure.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my purse, I carry an Epi-pen. This medical device contains a dose of epinephrine (adrenaline)… a hormone and neurotransmitter designed to accelerate the heart and constrict blood vessels while dilating air passages. In other words, if I am having an allergy attack and swelling is threatening my ability to breathe, a jab with this pen could save my life. I’ve had to use adrenaline for this purpose a couple of times, and the initial effect is anything but calming! Think of a time when you were startled suddenly, and your heart felt like it might pound out of your chest! That’s the effect of a sudden jolt of adrenaline, whether produced naturally by your own body or externally via injection.
In some ways, we react to things around us as if we have had a quick jolt of adrenaline. We get news that is bad or upsetting in some way, and we panic and start to worry and wring our hands. Even good things that cause us to become momentarily “high-strung” can get our heart pumping and result in erratic behavior. Some people are admitted “adrenaline junkies” who really enjoy the supposed “thrill” of throwing themselves into a tizzy or trying daredevil activities that send a jolt of adrenaline surging through their veins. And more times than we want to admit, our behavior in all of these moments is less than stellar… and certainly doesn’t reflect faith in God or good judgment.
I am first in line when I say that “WE” need to learn to rest in God… to turn to Him and calmly wait for His response and care. We need to rely more on God as our rock… to have confidence in His abilities to handle our problems and meet our needs. We need to relax, calm down, and just bask in the safety and security of His amazing power and presence. We need to learn to get our “thrills” from the relationship we have with Jesus Christ and seek fewer opportunities to test the limits and try crazy things for that momentary exhilaration.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a reactionary. I want to be calmer, more serene… to take things in stride more and let God handle things for me. I don’t want to be an “adrenaline junkie” – in any sense of the words. I want to operate on a more even keel… secure and confident in the care of my Heavenly Father. I’ll still have my Epi-pen in my purse… just in case… but I don’t plan on using it any time soon. And even if I should require that sudden jolt to get me back on track, I hope I can calmly trust God to do the heavy work.
Adrenaline can be a life-saver when administered by the Great Physician. It’s time to trust God to know when we need a jolt… and to stay calm and rest in His care in the meantime.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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