This post is the revelatory teaching notes that Dr. Aikens taught from in the Bootcamp entitled “When My Heart Feels Overwhelmed!”. Posted by Rev. Jane Babich after attending the Bootcamp.
When My Heart Feels Overwhelmed!
Life teaches us that drama, perils and its daily pressures and demands upon us can seem totally empowered to delay or deny visions, and dreams with feelings meant to overwhelm the strongest of our hearts and every measure of faith.
And yes; all this can so adversely affect us all even to the point where if we’re not careful to navigate on through it all circumspectly; it becomes far too easy to just give in and begin drifting through life aimlessly not knowing what we are supposed to feel.
But if we give in to feeling so; we can drift so far off course we wind up being totally unsure of how to even turn about to take our lives back from where we’ve been or awake to find we are; unto where we want to be.
Luke 2:25-35 (Apostle-aphrased)!
There was a man Mary and Joseph met in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was just and devout and waited on the revealing of Israel’s Messiah; for the Holy Spirit had revealed he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Christ! And so the Holy Spirit this particular day led him into the temple at the same time Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in to be presented unto God as was the Law. When Simeon saw Jesus; he lifted him up in his arms and blessed God. And he said; “I can now go in peace for mine eyes have seen the prepared vessel of the Salvation of the Lord come to be that light that lightens even the Gentiles and as the glory of God’s people Israel! And as Joseph and Mary stood marveling over his words about Jesus; Simeon blessed them but told Mary; He’s also destined to be the cause of many falling and rising again in Israel. And He shall be God’s sign spoken against, and you shall feel it as a sword pierce your heart and soul; as thoughts of many hearts are revealed.
Mary would ponder this word she received and carefully watch over Jesus all through Jesus’ childhood; for God had given her the fortitude to press on despite any every fiery dart the enemy sent their way that had to be quenched by their moving in obedient faith!
Luke 2:40-43a (Apostle-aphrased)!
And the child Jesus grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him.
The word reveals how the enemy tried to make them feel so many evil things as being present to harm Jesus and yet God faithfully warned and lifted them up unto a way of escape every time to them overcome it all.
Consider nothing was able to overwhelm Mary or Joseph’s heart much less the child Jesus. They all experienced one threatening devastation come after the other. But God permitted not one thing or person power or authority to prosper as a weapon against them; though weapons surely formed over and over.
Now to those observing Jesus’ childhood it may well have seemed their family drifted aimlessly from Egypt back to Israel in feeling threatened, but they simply moved in ordered steps feeling safely led by God’s Spirit.
Earlier we learned our life plan when formed and executed is a proven help to navigate by. It overcomes even if we’re spiritual minded as Jesus was, yet mess up by choosing to tarry behind God’s time; drifting.
Luke 2:41-48 (Apostle-aphrased)!
Now Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He turned twelve He accompanied them to the temple in Jerusalem which was the custom for every male child at twelve. And when they days they were to remain there were fulfilled they left to journey home, But Jesus feeling zeal’s driving and making Him feel He ready and right; choose to just tarry behind in Jerusalem.
But Joseph and His mother Mary didn’t know anything about what Jesus had felt. So they traveled a whole day before realizing Jesus wasn’t where He was supposed to be; in the safety of their caravan full of His relatives and friends. So they began to search for Him and when they couldn’t find Him anywhere they returned to Jerusalem, to seek Him whom they thought was lost or endangered!
Now after three days unbelievably they found Him. He was sitting in the temple; in the midst of the religious doctors of law that were there. Incredulously He was both hearing them and then asking them questions as if He was assigned to do so! And the thing is; all those learned men hearing Him speak there were totally “astonished”. They literally felt bewitched by His unbelievable understanding! But when Mary and Joseph saw Him, they “felt amazed” by what they saw! But it was amazement that is overwhelmed by the evil things they feel! For Mary said; “Oh my God Son; how could you deal so with us? Don’t you realize how Your father and I sought you feeling overwhelmed and “sorrowing”?
“Felt Astonished & Felt Amazed”
Astonished signifies all those doctors felt absolutely transfixed; so astounded they literally felt they’d lost their wits. Is that good? Not! Understand those doctors were literally beside themselves; feeling as if paralyzed by a morbid sense of fearful wonder holding them there.
Astonished signifies they actually felt as if Jesus bewitched them; thus lost their will to move on and their own mind. Unbelievable wonder made them feel insane! Butt know if this is the feeling we leave folks within ministering; we accomplish nothing; for God gets no glory from such “feelings”!
The amazed Mary and Joseph felt; expressed they felt struck or pierced through by painful astonishment; it struck so deep down within their core seeing Him there felt as agonizing as if that prophesied sword had pierced her heart!
Luke 2:48 again: And when Mary and Joseph saw Him; they were “amazed”. And she said to Him; “Son why would you deal so with us? Don’t You know Your father and I looked hard for you while sorrowing”?
“Sorrowing”
Sorrowing is to be so filled with deep grieving pain that leaves us bent over and so wracked it is tormenting; for it can have us looking and feeling old and haggard or finished; for it feels; as if it’ll never let us go!
The revelatory is this “sorrowing” is a deeply tangible pain; likened to being overwhelmed by the feeling of having a broken heart or one pierced through by a sword. It is a pain so deep we feel unable to look up; much less lift ourselves up!
Luke 2:49-52 (Apostle-aphrased)!
Well, Jesus, when he heard the accusation, asked; “Why were you even looking for Me; don’t you know by now that I must be about my Father’s business? But the Word says they had absolutely no clue what He was talking about. His parents both had visions and dreams about Him that were from God. They knew His mission statement; that when His hour was come, He would suddenly cease to be her baby and his child; to become their and our God. Mary pondered all that in her heart! But nothing He said had the ring of truth to be the glory of the lifter of their head.
So in being touched by the feelings of their infirmity of that hour; in their thinking, He was but drifting aimlessly in feeling; what wasn’t His hour to feel yet; Jesus humbled Himself; took up anchor and followed them! 51 And the Word tells us Jesus went on back with them to Nazareth, and He remained there for the next eighteen years yielded and subject to them, and being about His adopted father’s business while His mother continued to ponder it all! As a result, Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, And in favor; with God and man!
Consider for a moment; that our visions and dreams will speak to us; they can even set out directed paths towards the expected ends we must journey unto in this life. We can go off half equipped and drift aimlessly off course if unharnessed zeal has its way with us. We can also be broadsided by evil things coming to speak to and make us “feel” their presence more than we “feel” God. But know the glory and lifter of our head will always come right on time!
Consider the Word sorrowing again!
Sorrowing is also likened to feeling completely overwhelmed. We become so bent over by a sensation of racking pain that clutches at our heart; that we can feel and appear to others as if old and adrift aimlessly long before our time.
- This sorrowing is also pain felt that’s deeply overwhelming to our hearts.
- This is because in our attempt to search for who or what we believe is missing; or was forcibly taken from us.
- Just as Mary and Joseph experienced and felt overwhelming fear about their child Jesus; we too can set out to search, but with every painful step we take to begin to steadily lose any real hope to ever find that which was lost again.
- It is also a pain that has lost hope that even if all we lost was found; it wouldn’t ever be returned whole; or what we believed they once were to us.
So we consider as we prepare to close a woman that was known to all as having a spirit of infirmity. Jesus would meet her at temple 18 years later; after He’d gone home to subject to His parents in having not only been out of synch with God’s timing; but had regretfully caused them to feel this same pain of overwhelming “sorrow” over His having tarried behind!
Luke 13:10-13
Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day; and behold, there was a woman walking about which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years. Understand it had possessed her about the same time Jesus was wowing doctors in the temple. And she was so bowed over with her overwhelming sense of pain she couldn’t lift herself up!
Now when Jesus who was now thirty years old and now fully equipped by God and so released to do what he thought to do at twelve; saw her, he called her over to him, and simply said unto her, “Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmity!” And he laid his hands on her: And immediately she was made straight, And she glorified God.
Understand what has happened here.
To those who thought they knew her by seeing her in her pain every day; she had to seem pitiful. She had to appear to drift aimlessly feeling every evil thing; as she couldn’t see anything else and could in no wise lift herself up to even look up!
But 18 years later; Jesus when walking in His ordered steps; would meet and stop her seemingly aimless drifting overwhelmed heart; to heal her sorrow by revealing Himself then as the glory and lifter up of her head!
King David’s Powerful Declaration Psalm 3:3
Thou, O Lord art a shield for me; my glory and lifter up of mine head.
“Glory & Lifter Up of My Head”
My glory signifies the Lord our anchor; our weight of abundant splendor; our sense of He and all the honor He brings to bear; has come!
My glory signifies the Lord’s presence halts; prevents any further drifting aimlessly in our feelings we do when overwhelmed by creeping darkness that thinks to set us hopelessly adrift.
Lifter up is the word David sang expressing his urgent desire for the Lord if his heartfelt overwhelmed to come and safely lead him to that “Rock higher than!”
Lifter up is used here it declared God as actively busying Himself to remain highly involved in our ordered steps. He then leads us up to our expected end originating in Him.
My Head is those things the most easily shaken; as in hung down heads; overwhelmed hearts even faith!
It can also signify our sense of timing or strategic positioning we believe God gave us to occupy; but man keeps on saying; not so! Being lifter of our head signifies God ordered audacious promotions are taking place and ordered to show out in the midst of obvious setbacks. It also declares He has setup ordained comebacks already prepared; ready and waiting on His release to come to be revealed. God’s hand heaves us up out of; unto a safe landing in Him; especially if our heart feels too overwhelmed to help ourselves.
- As the Rock higher than and our lifter up it implies God rising in total sufficiency; responding to all who are afflicted for His sake and in a doing His will.
- The Lord leading us higher than as our lifter up signifies He also rises to continually uphold wearied, overwhelmed hearts or heads. We’ve but to look away from all else; unto Him! Hebrews 12:2
- Our God faithfully takes up our cause in all things. He even lifts us up from the depths of despair to where we can turn to be able to stand, withstand and exalt Him again in the process.
The revelatory here is; hearts can feel overwhelmed and we drift aimlessly caught up in feeling lack of physical, mental or spiritual strength to feel able to lift ourselves unto deliverance; oh but God! Our God leads us to stand to withstand upon the Rock higher than, Jesus; He remains as the glory and lifter of our head. Beloveds our High Priest is touched by; so feels all our infirmities.
We must learn to “feel” the power of the truth that He is to us; despite what every evil thing tries to make us feel is otherwise. For He’s a very present “sound” of help coming; of grace sufficient for our every overwhelming type of heart trouble we’d encounter! Selah!
