The following is from “How Long, Lord?”, available on Amazon.

 

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 13:5

 

We want to be “good Christians” and live out verse 5 from the start, yet are left defeated every time we struggle to trust and rejoice.

We genuinely want to have faith that verse 5 is true; like David, verses 1-4 constantly lead the charge.

This is why it has taken us 5 days to get to the “good Christian” response; if we are not honest about the prevalence of verses 1-4 in our lives, our faith will be but a mask.  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)  Our versions of verses 1-4 reveal that we do not always believe He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  We question God’s character, we focus on ruminations, we tell God what He must do, and we forecast the worst; we are inconsistent in our ability to trust Him and rejoice.

That is okay; in fact, God expects it.  Not only did God not rebuke David for verses 1-4, He allowed them to become among the most well known verses in his holy written Word!  David was only able to choose trust and joy because he had honestly named his default – even preferred – responses, and submitted them to God.  He did not feel trust and joy – reread verse 1-4 to know what he felt and believed: he chose trust and joy.  As Job put it during a horrific time, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15)

Find the week-long devotional here.