O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations! May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.
Psalms 61:1-8 NLT
Thankfully, most of us have not gone through what David went through. He prayed for God to rescue him, even though he was so far from home it felt like the “ends of the earth.” We know of two times David was on the run: when he was young and King Saul was trying to kill him, and when he was older, and his son Absalom was hunting him. David’s life had many ups and downs, but there was one constant: his love for the Lord. His heart for his Savior and his gift of poetry led him to write down his prayers as psalms, and billions of people have been encouraged by reading these prayers. God took David’s struggles and used them to bless countless lives.
God didn’t want Absalom to hunt David, and He does not send evil into our lives. Bad things come from bad choices, and creation itself is in a state of brokenness, waiting to be renewed and redeemed. God is our Redeemer and Rescuer. Yet He doesn’t stop every problem from entering our lives; He teaches us to rely on His strength and trust in His word. He recycles the trash thrown into our lives. He uses the bricks thrown at us to build us stronger. There will be pain in life; that is guaranteed. It is also guaranteed that God will use that pain to build us up, strengthen our faith, and bless others—if we will let Him.
What are the struggles in your life now? How might God be using those struggles to strengthen your faith? What does God want you to do?
