How I identify with this psalm of longing and trust, written by King David, which says in verse 1, ‘My soul rests in God alone,’ affirming, where else can we go. David found rest in God from the turmoil caused by his enemies and if he can, so can we, while we live through our own uncertainties and anxieties with those we take care of.
We are asked to trust God ‘all’ the time (I do my best ‘most’ times) and gratefully, discover God is strong and loving. Taking small steps of trust and staying in communication with the Lord, I have seen doors open that I could not even imagine. God’s strength has empowered me to keep on enduring through what at times seemed unendurable. When fear comes, I remember God is my refuge, grasps me by the hand and I can trust He hears and cares for me and my loved ones. There is no where I can go, that God isn’t with me, helping and granting me rest.
I recall a time in my life that my focus was on lamenting my losses. Many months later, my husband had to have emergency heart surgery. Later, after being told by our cardiologist, that if he had a heart attack before the surgery, he would have died, my prayer of gratitude included contrition. I had been such a brat (hardly trusting, mostly complaining at what I had lost) and all the while God was keeping my husband alive. Praise God!
Trust is a day to day journey through the ups and downs of each of our life situations. God has a way of reminding us He is in control and to trust, even when we do not ‘yet’ see. With the eyes of our heart, staying faithful enables us to tell God how we feel – the good, the bad and the ugly. We can trust that God is not afraid of our (yours or mine) deepest and most honest feelings. I can pray, Lord, this is too hard and it well might be. However, further prayer helps me reflect trust in God’s ability to help me do whatever He calls me to do.
I trust God to be my strength and even delight in my weaknesses because they allow Him to work in me. 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and constraints, for the sake of Christ, for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The Bible says that God never sleeps nor slumbers and I know He watches over us. Can you rest in His love and trust God to strengthen you and keep you all the days of your life? All comments are welcome.