Let It Go (You Can't Control It)

READ PSALM 65

Psalm 65:5-7 (ESV)

⁵ By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; ⁶ the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; ⁷ who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.

Have you ever made a list of all the things you can't control? Don't bother, there is not enough paper on the planet to contain that list.

Just think about how right now in this very moment God is holding the earth on its axis, the moon in its place, the sun will rise and set when He determines, and the oceans obey when He tells them where the shoreline will be.

You haven't given a single thought to how much breathable air is available to you today, or whether gravity will hold you to the ground. Why? Because you can't control ANY of that. So it's easy to let go of those things.

You see, God holds in place ALL of the things that you have no control over.

Now what about the things you think you have control over? You know, your "personal" stuff.

The things that cause you: Fear, Anxiety, Stress, Pain, Anger, Frustration. The cause could be a bad relationship, a bad financial situation, stressful times at work, a big event, or (since we just celebrated Christmas with family) arguments among family members.

Whatever it is, you have tried your best to control a situation that has only caused you more sleepless nights and an uncertain future, and yet you hold onto it in hopes that your tight grip will change things. Surely you can fix this mess. You HAVE to fix this mess!

Listen to me, my friend. Let it go. You can't control it any more than you can control the sun, moon, stars, and the ocean sea.

But there is hope!

In Psalm 65 we are given an assurance by God that He is in control of all things because He created all things. There is nothing too big for God, and that includes your situation.

In Matthew 8:26-27, Jesus stands in front of an epic storm that is threatening the lives of his disciples. The winds and waves are bashing the boat and the disciples are afraid for their lives. Several of the disciples were professional fishermen who knew how to fight storms on the Sea of Galilee, but this particular storm was beyond their control.

Jesus stands up in the boat and does what Psalm 65:7 says, He stills the roaring sea and the roaring waves. And I love how the disciples respond, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves must obey Him!"

That's right. They do!

And notice how Psalm 65:7 adds that God also stills the "tumult of the peoples." A lot of times our fear, anxiety, stress, anger, etc. are fueled by people around us, and we can't control them. But God is letting us know that He has the ability to step in and calm any situation...even amongst people!

Do you have a "people problem" right now? Here's what God wants you to know...He Is In Control.

When life sends you to a place of fear because of something or someone you can't control, lift your eyes to the Lord and open your mouth in prayer, and ask Jesus to step into your situation. Let the Lord know that you are opening your hands and releasing it completely to Him.

The greatest freedom in your life will come when you let it go and release control into the hands of the One who controls it all.

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN.

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