Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence. (Ps. 71:4–5)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 71:1-8
What would it mean for God to be with you? It can be easy to assume that God’s presence will prevent us from facing adversity: the way we know God is with us (we think) is that our heart rate goes down and our life becomes peaceful.When things fall into place supernaturally, we turn to one another with a smile, and say, “That was a God thing.”
Rarely do we turn to one another in seasons of conflict, opposition, scarcity, or fear, and say, “This is a God thing.”
But if we take the psalmist seriously, high-pressure moments may be chances to trust God with things we usually trust only ourselves for: security, advocacy, protection, and gentle correction. When the heat is turned up, our picture of God may be moldable enough for the truth to fold in.
That doesn’t mean God will always give us perspective in the moment; sometimes, life is just hard, and our suffering doesn’t feel spiritual. It may be years (or decades, or into eternity) before parts of our lives make sense—and yet, in our confusion, we can experience God’s presence. Remembering God’s presence is not a guarantee against facing hard things, but a guarantee that God will go with us through hard things and protect us from things we could not shield ourselves from.
Recall and share a time when God gave you what you needed.
Ethan Linder is the discipleship pastor at College Wesleyan Church (IN) and contributing editor for Education and Clergy Development of The Wesleyan Church.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.