Christmas Crush

"His heart is steady; he will not be afraid." Psalm 112:8 (ESV)

I don't know about you, but I am really feeling what I term the "Christmas crush." You may not find that term defined by Google, but my definition for Christmas crush is "too many things to do and not enough time or available resources to do them." Under the best of circumstances, I'm not very good at creating margins in my life. This year's schedule is especially maxed because our son Robert is getting married this weekend. Throw in James Bruce's lingering cough, a return to work from medical leave, out of town company staying with us for a few days next week, and well, you get the idea.

My sacred echo for the last two weeks has been the word "steady."  Defined as an adjective, steady means "firmly fixed; supported; not moving or shaking." When used as an exclamation, it's a warning for someone to keep calm or take care. Needless to say, the word "steady" isn't just a sacred echo; it's a God's good word for me this week.

My steady sacred echo began almost two weeks ago with a morning quiet time. I was working on writing a Woven lesson for the upcoming women's Spring Bible study and my text was Psalm 112 whose theme is the fear of the Lord. The NIV translation for Psalm 112:8 reads, "His heart is secure; he will have no fear." Reading it in the ESV, however, the verse says, "His heart is steady; he will not be afraid." Honestly, the word "steady" almost jumped off the page and into my heart as I prayed, "Lord, I need a steady heart, one that isn't scared, anxious, worried, or crowded with my "to do" list."

Fast forward 90 minutes and we walked into church just as the congregation recited our weekly reading from Psalm 119, "Keep steady my footsteps." (Psalm 119:133) I'm not sure I heard any other words from the other seven verses of Psalm 119, but I sure heard the word steady. It's not an oft-repeated word used throughout the Bible, but God used His Word and Spirit to repeat it to my heart twice in less than two hours.

All of us still need steady hearts and footsteps. In an age of radical terrorists, presidential campaigns, political correctness, soft economies, growing older, failing health, maxed to do lists, God's Word and Spirit can still steady our hearts and our footsteps. How many of us don't desire to be firmly fixed, not moving or shaking, and calm? Wherever you are today, whatever circumstances you are facing, why not ask God for a steady heart and steady footsteps? The God who spoke, still speaks. 

"Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart." Isaiah 7:4 (NIV)

Steady- Amen and amen!