If you are like me, many allergy sufferers have to deal with a stuffy nose. Our sinuses become full of mucus, which can make it challenging to sleep at night, as it becomes hard to breathe.

My head is also pretty stuffy, but for different reasons. Though I try to stay away, I look at the news from CNN to the local news. Covid-19 is usually at the forefront, especially when our leaders contract the disease. There’s the constant news of people getting killed, shot, and many of all ages are missing. The election is soon to come, and I must make a choice of who will receive my vote. I want to travel, but am afraid to do so. I feel distanced from everyone, and on and on it goes. All this and more is causing my head to become stuffy from the mucus of this world, not to mention my own personal issues. There has to be a prescription that I can take to open up my brain passages for my mind to function more like God created it to be: one of peace and tranquility.

The 88th Psalm was written by Herman the Ezrahite, and it is full of what he was experiencing at the time. Here are a few descriptions:

• without strength (verse 4)
• feels like one in the lowest part of Sheol, the pit (verse 3)
• friends are far from him, making him feel shut in and can’t go out (verse 8; sound familiar with what is going on with the pandemic?)
• constant crying (verse 9)
• feels rejected by God (verse14)
• feels like darkness is his only friend (verse 18)

Yet, with all this stuffing up Herman’s head, he continues to say this:

• “I cry out to you day and night…mMay my prayer reach your presence; listen to my cry.” (verse 1, 2)
• I call to you for help Lord; in the morning my prayer meets you.” (verse 13)

Herman the Ezrahite does not forget to cry out to God. He verbalizes what he inwardly is experiencing, what he is feeling, what is causing his head to become stuffed up. Intertwined between all types of despair, he cries out to God day and night, and when a new day dawns, he prays again, hoping that the prayer will reach God’s presence.

Herman the Ezrahite encouraged me. I can identify with what he is going through. Herman’s prescription for an unstuffed head is to pray to God, asking for help when he is in a dark place. Asking for relief early in the morning, and like taking medicine for an ailment, we can take a cue from this man and pray as well. It may take a while, but when we give our issues to God, telling him what we are going through, let us cling onto hope, like Herman did, that our prayers will reach his presence and he will listen to our cry.

God promises to unstuff our heads…

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29: 11, 12

Be strengthenized…