Chapel Reflection with Al Moss

“When things fall apart, where do we turn to for reassurance?” asked Al Moss.  

Speaking to members of the Kuyper community assembled in the Vos Chapel in mid-March for a twice-weekly service, he pointed out that people often resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms in the face of difficult circumstances. 

“Some people turn to drugs and alcohol, some people turn to isolation,” Kuyper’s Director of Spiritual Formation said. “An overwhelmed heart can lead you there.”

Even King David, known as “a man after God’s own heart”, was no stranger to this feeling.

Referencing Psalm 61, Moss highlighted the distress expressed in the passage. 

“We’re not sure what prompted David to write this way, but we do know for certain that he was going through something in life where he was troubled and overwhelmed,” he said.

He added that any number of things, such as losing loved ones, financial problems, social media, or relationship troubles, might lead people to feel overwhelmed in the same ways as Israel’s great king. When this happens, where comfort is sought matters.  

“When I have no place to turn, what do I do,” he asked the audience.

By openly expressing his distress to God, David provided a template for dealing with times of trouble, Moss said, adding that it doesn’t need to be held in or coped with in unhealthy ways.

“David recognized that his accolades and accomplishments were not going to help in this situation; he needed something bigger than himself to get through it,” said Moss.

We have access to the same source of comfort that David did, he emphasized, and that is the firm foundation we find in Christ. That footing gives us confidence that God will hear our cries and answer, even if that doesn’t happen the way we’d like it to.

Moss challenged his listeners to seek God’s presence when life threatens to pull us under. 

“When your heart  is overwhelmed, and you feel like giving up, be reminded of David,” he said.