Oct 29 2024

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

In this Psalm, David cries out to the Lord to intervene on his behalf. He had previously expressed how his soul thirsts for the Lord. In today's verse, he asks the Lord to help him hear His loving kindness and give him direction about which path he should take. Today, we will consider times in our lives when we've felt like David felt and think about responding in ways that honor the Lord.

Even though David is in the midst of sorrow, he knows that the Lord is full of lovingkindness. Although he cannot see it right now, he believes the Lord's love for him is still present. Indeed, David says that he trusts in the Lord. His emotions have not shaken his conviction that the Lord is good and loving; he knows that the character of God has not changed.

He then asks the Lord to give him direction. Often in times of anguish, it's hard to know how to move forward—or what forward even looks like. David recognizes his utter dependence on God for his very next move. He writes that he lifts up his soul to God. He is waiting for the Lord to show him what to do; he cannot imagine being able to devise a plan better than that which the Lord has.

If you are in a difficult season, try to be like David. He did not let his circumstances shake his belief in God's goodness—he knew that his feelings were not indicative of truths, but instead, were temporary bodily responses to his circumstances. He rested in the truth that God's lovingkindness would have mercy on Him. David also immediately acknowledged his dependence on the Lord and was willing to wait for His direction.

Think about lifting up your soul to God in all circumstances. Whatever we are facing, whether it's good or bad, we can trust that the Lord is with us and will supply all of our needs. He always lets us know whatever we need to know when we need to know it.

Dear Lord, I lift my soul up to you, knowing that you know exactly how to fill every need and heal every wound. Thank you for being a precious, loving God who hears my prayers. In Jesus' name, amen.

Oct 28 2024

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. :

David wrote Psalm 56 when the Philistines, who were enemies of Israel, seized him. David was oppressed and hurt by them, but reminded himself over and over again to trust in the Lord. As this verse shows, he remembered how faithful the Lord had been to him and that the Lord was in control of everything. We'll look at verse 11, which comes near the end of the Psalm and has many takeaways for us today.

David made the conscious decision to trust in the Lord. Trusting in God is not automatic; it is something that we make a decision to do. Often, this is a decision that we make again and again, just as David reminded himself—three times in this Psalm—that he would trust in the Lord.

What this means is that if we struggle to trust in God, we should not feel bad or blame ourselves for our feelings. Instead, we should resolve, over and over again, to continue to lean into the Lord. Sometimes, when I'm in a difficult circumstance, I'll have to say aloud several times an hour, I trust you, God. And that's okay. Verbally articulating our trust in the Lord is like training our hearts and minds to obey Him. It's saying that regardless of our emotions at the moment, we will keep trusting God.

We have ample reason to trust the Lord. In the second half of this Psalm, David says that he will not be afraid of what "man" can do to him. He is contrasting the power of man with the sovereignty of God. David knows that there is no other person who is in control of his circumstances or his life—God is in control of everything. Because God is good and loving, David does not have to be afraid.

Just like David, we also do not have to be afraid. We can trust God in every circumstance, including those that we don't understand, because God is always faithful and always loving. He will never leave us, and nothing can happen to us that brings into question God's love for us. Because of this, we can trust in Him.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your sovereign goodness. I thank you for loving me so much and for always caring for me. Help me to honor you by trusting you well, even in circumstances that are challenging. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.