Tag: Psalm 62

Learning to Lament

“Life often hurts, and we need to know how to pray when it does,” Jennifer Rothschild declares in When You Pray. Maybe prayers of lament aren’t a regular part of your times with the Lord; expressing passionate grief or sorrow isn’t something we do well as a culture. Rather than feeling the depth of our emotions, we expend tremendous energy trying to avoid them. 

We’ve learned to sidestep pain in many creative ways. Here are a few strategies that have become common in our culture:

Numbing: Physical pain in our bodies signals to us that something needs attention. However, if we numb the pain of a toothache without addressing the root issue, the problem grows bigger. Yet many of us do this with our emotions—we feel the unpleasant sensation of pain and we rush to numb it with alcohol, pills, binge watching Netflix, shopping, or something else. Anesthetizing may lessen the pain for a while, but it brings only short-term relief.

Busyness & Distraction: Like waving a toy in front of a toddler crying for his mother, we occupy ourselves with distractions that make us forget emotional pain, at least for a little while. Maybe it’s keeping a full social calendar, scrolling social media, flooding our minds with mental inputs like podcasts or audio books, or throwing ourselves into serving others or working. We often use busyness and distractions to avoid feeling our emotions.

Denial & Avoidance: Sometimes we like to pretend the pain isn’t there. We think that if we don’t acknowledge its existence, it can’t take us under. Like getting caught in a forceful ocean current, we try to resist its power and exhaust ourselves fighting against it. But as a wise pastor once told me, grief waits for us for as long as it takes for us to reckon with it.

Pursuing Pleasure: Taking a vacation, looking for laughs, or deciding we “deserve” to eat with abandon can be coping mechanisms we use trying to counterbalance the pain we’re feeling. Wanting to feel good for just a moment, we justify spending money or consuming calories in an effort to soothe the hurt gnawing inside of us. Often, we end up feeling worse than we did before.

Negative Comparisons: I’ll never forget risking to lament about a painful situation I was experiencing. My confidante responded by saying, “Well, at least…” and then proceeded to share something similar she’d gone through that was much worse. Instead of listening with empathy, she minimized my sadness. I felt foolish and guilty for letting my “lesser” problem affect me so deeply. Trying to make ourselves (or others) feel better through negative comparisons just makes the burden heavier.

Positive Spin: Sometimes we take a hard situation and, instead of processing our painful emotions, we try looking at the bright side. I’ve often tried to console myself and others by focusing only on the benefits emotional hardship could bring. But failing to acknowledge the pain is like covering a wound before cleaning it out—it festers and prevents healing.

Spiritual Bypassing: For a lover of Scripture like me, another way I’ve avoided feeling my sadness is by veering around it. Before even allowing my emotions to surface fully, I’m already trying to find ways to explain away the pain or learn spiritual truth from it. It’s short-sighted to think we can “skip over our pain and just have Jesus ‘fix’ us.”1

We can stave off painful emotions, but ultimately if we don’t deal with them, they leak out of us at times we don’t anticipate. Unacknowledged pain morphs into impatience, anger, irritability, apathy, discouragement, and a host of other negative emotions and behaviors that ripple out to affect others around us.

Rather than avoiding our pain, we need to face it head on and let ourselves feel it deeply. Learning to lament in prayer with total honesty brings great relief and freedom. Try using these steppingstones on the path to comfort and healing.2

1. Address God: Focus your prayer on the One who knows you intimately and listens to you attentively. “Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.” (Psalm 5:1-2, NIV)

2. Pour out your heart: Bring Him your complaints and concerns. Share your raw emotions without holding back. “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8, NIV)

3. Request help: Ask God for what you need, but also remain open to His perspective on your situation. “But you, Sovereign Lord, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.”(Psalm 109:21, NIV)

4. Express trust. Affirm your faith in God’s character and His Word. (Or ask Him to build your trust in Him if you’re not quite there yet.) “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2, NIV)

5. Praise Him. No matter how terrible you feel, God is still good. Remind yourself of this by expressing adoration for His wisdom, strength, and faithfulness (or whatever qualities of His you appreciate.) Use the Bible to help you if you can’t come up with anything on your own. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails  and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength;  he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NIV)

Lament gives us time and space to identify our feelings and process them in the safe, loving, patient presence of our Heavenly Father. Laying out our emotions allows the Lord to comfort us and guide us, freeing us to move forward instead of being continually weighed down. It’s hard work, but so worth it. The next time you’re hurting emotionally, consider making time to practice lament and let the Lord refresh your spirit.

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1. John Mark Comer quoting John Welwood, Praciticing the Way, Waterbrook, 2024, 88.

2. Jennifer Rothschild, When You Pray session 5, Lifeway Press 2023, 119.

Pour Out Your Heart

She sat against the wall with the other outcasts watching the honored guests reclining at the table. The host, Simon the Pharisee, tolerated her presence to fulfill his obligation to the law. The Scriptures commanded that he provide food for the poor, but it didn’t mean he had to show warmth or kindness to her as she waited for a few meager scraps from the table. She had a reputation as a sinful woman around town, but couldn’t resist showing up with the other unfortunate, sick, and lame people when she heard Jesus was the guest of honor.

So, she sat with her back against the wall and listened to the conversation, waiting for the moment when she could talk with Jesus. He’d caught her eye at one point and instead of turning away in disgust as Simon had, he’d smiled. The love in His eyes drew her to Him. She felt seen and valued in a way she’d never experienced before. Unable to hold back any longer, she approached Him from behind and knelt. Tears welled up in her eyes and flowed onto the dusty feet that Simon had neglected to wash when Jesus entered his home. Realizing she had nothing to dry them with, she uncovered her hair and used it to wipe away the tears. Before she lost her nerve, she kissed His feet. Then, drawing an alabaster jar out of her cloak, she anointed them with costly perfume, pouring out her only possession of value.

Without saying a word, the woman’s actions showed the shame and regret she felt over her sins. Looking at her with love and mercy, Jesus raised her from her low position, honoring her humility and restoring her dignity: “Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” (Luke 7:44-50, NIV)

The sinful woman came to Jesus without pretense. Tears flowed as she encountered His deep love in spite of her sin. She offered Him the most valuable thing she had and accepted His grace and forgiveness in return. Their interaction was authentic, unfiltered, and raw. Are those words you would use to describe your interactions with Jesus? 

Kristi McClelland explains, “Jesus could handle both, a mixture of anointing oil and a woman’s deepest pain poured out in her tears. We can pour our whole hearts out to Jesus. We can leave it all before Him. We can cast it all upon Him. He can take it, and He wants to take it. When we pour out our hearts to Jesus, He begins generously lifting us up in grace and truth. Like the woman in Luke 7, He can lift us up and send us on our way in peace.”1

Her words echo David’s in Psalm 62: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:5-8, NIV) 

The Lord invites us to pour out our hearts to Him with honesty. He gives us the freedom to be raw and unfiltered before Him. Unfortunately, most of us shy away from this, just as we do in human relationships. We prefer safe and sanitized interactions that shield our vulnerability and weakness. Often, it’s not until we’re desperate that we finally shed our façades and engage the Lord honestly. At least, that’s been my experience. 

For me, pouring out my heart has often happened when I’ve had nowhere else to turn. During a season of intense loneliness in college when I felt I had no one I could trust, the Lord became my closest confidante. A decade later, during a time of deep depression after I’d been betrayed by a friend, I poured out my hurt to the Lord and found comfort and healing. More recently, I turned to Him amidst the grief of losing my mom to cancer. However, it’s not only in difficult times that I’ve sought the Lord. I’ve discovered praying with raw emotions and unfiltered words on a regular basis gives me peace and leads to deeper intimacy with Jesus.  

Although it feels daunting, pouring out our hearts to God is worth the effort. It gives us time to process and gain perspective. It allows us room to feel our emotions without having them lead us to react with impulsive behavior. Pouring out our hearts to God opens us to receive His wisdom and compassion. Sometimes it helps us to recognize where our feelings may be leading us astray. Pouring out our hearts enables us to discern what to do next and drives us to use Scripture as our guide.

We’re living in a culture that encourages us to be led by our feelings without restraint and without considering consequences. When we follow this path, it often leads to further pain and damaged relationships. Conversely, we’re also encouraged to anesthetize ourselves to numb our feelings rather than processing them. Instead of acknowledging our emotions and determining what triggered them, we pour a glass of wine, go on a shopping spree, binge watch Netflix, scroll on social media, or indulge in our favorite foods. These strategies ultimately leave us feeling hollow and unsatisfied. They can also cause additional problems, compounding the complicated mix of emotions that are already consuming us. 

Pouring out our hearts to Jesus in prayer provides a safe, loving landing place for the tangle of thoughts and feelings that plague us. Sharing them with the Lord deepens our connection to Him and helps us to keep our emotions and mental spinning from getting the best of us. 

Are you ready to approach Jesus with your unfiltered and authentic thoughts and feelings? Will you seek Him first instead of as a last resort? Make it a regular practice and receive the peace only He can provide. Need some inspiration? Listen to Rachael Lampa’s song “Perfectly Loved” by clicking here. Let it prompt you to pour out your heart to Jesus today. 

1. Kristi McClelland, Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now, Lifeway Press, 2019, 77.

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Testing or Trusting

City lights twinkled in the rearview mirror as we crossed the Bay Bridge in stunned silence. Sitting in the backseat, I hadn’t begun to process the events of the past few days as my brother drove my mom and me home from the hospital. We’d left our active and strong father lying unconscious in a hospital bed looking frail and vulnerable. The grey tinge to his skin was unsettling, but the most alarming sight during our brief visit to the ICU was the ten inches of sutures running like a zipper down his chest. I’d been shocked when my mom called from the emergency room a few days earlier with news of his heart attack . There had been no indication he had cardiac issues, but now he was fresh out of triple bypass surgery.

Staring out the window as rain pelted the car, I sat thinking of my parents and the busy lives they led. They’d embraced being empty nesters and loved serving at church, going on mission trips, traveling, and spending time with their kids. They were best friends who did everything together. I couldn’t imagine what my mom would do if my dad didn’t survive. Leaning forward from the backseat, I broke the silence as we entered the Caldecott Tunnel “Mom, how are you doing? Dad didn’t look so good, did he?” 

I feared she was on the brink of falling apart and was surprised and relieved by her answer: “No, he looked terrible, but I’m doing alright. I haven’t been studying the Bible all these years for nothing. I know God is good. No matter what happens to Dad, He’ll be faithful.” 

My mom’s trust in the Lord’s goodness gives a stark contrast to the story of the Israelites’ testing Him at Meribah in Exodus 17. Scripture portrays the people quarreling with Moses and almost stoning him over a lack of water on their journey in the desert. Other books of the Bible fill in more details about why their attitude was so displeasing to the Lord. Several chapters in Psalms use the story as a warning for future generations:

“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did.” (Psalm 95:8-9, NIV)

“He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test…for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance…their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.” (Psalm 78:15-17, 22, 37, NIV)

The Israelites test God at Meribah by asking “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7b) Despite experiencing His power, provision, and presence during their deliverance from Egypt and their journey into the desert, they fail to trust Him. These psalms highlight their hard hearts and their poor memory for God’s goodness. They also point out the Isrealites’ disloyalty to the Lord and their lack of faithfulness to His covenant promises. “Doubting God’s ability, they put Him to the test expecting Him to do miracles for them when they were out of His will.”1

In the New Testament, the author of Hebrews uses the story of Meribah as a reminder for us not to harden our hearts but to remain confident and hopeful in Christ: “`Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,’ bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.’” (Hebrews 3:5-9, NIV)

Although it’s unlikely we’ll ever be traveling on foot through a desert, all of us will experience painful, difficult, or challenging circumstances in different seasons. And when they occur, we can choose to test God or to trust Him. Seeking the Lord and studying His Word consistently will lay a foundation so that:

  • Instead of questioning if God is still good, we can choose to remember where He’s shown goodness and faithfulness to us in the past.
  • Instead of railing against the Lord in anger, we can choose to trust the promises in His Word. 
  • Instead of feeling offended thinking God “owes” us for the good things we’ve done, we can remember we deserve nothing and trust His grace to be sufficient in our struggles. 
  • Instead of asking “why?” we can invite the Lord to show us what He’s going to do in our lives through the hardship.
  • Instead of hardening our hearts, we can lean into God to keep our hearts tender.

My parents showed many of these responses through my dad’s rocky recovery from open heart surgery. They continued to demonstrate trust in the Lord several years later when a rare disease slowly took his life.

Scripture provides wisdom for how to avoid testing God: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” (Hebrews 3:12-14, NIV) 

Rather than testing the Lord by questioning His goodness or faithfulness in hard seasons, approach Him with your honest emotions and trust Him to be your refuge: “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:6-8, NIV)

Exploring Scripture for this post led me to an incredible verse where God implores His people to listen to Him and follow His ways. He concludes with a promise reminiscent of the manna that was sweet like honey and the rock that poured forth water: “But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Click here and enjoy listening to this celebration of God’s perfect provision in “Honey in the Rock” by Brooke Ligertwood.

1. Walvoord and Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, Zondervan 1985, 851.

Inspired by Jen Wilkin’s God of Deliverance: A Study of Exodus 1-18, Lifeway Press, 2021.

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Woe and Worship

With pursed lips and red face, my son struggled to shove the shoes on his tiny feet. At each attempt, his frustration mounted. Finally, I leaned down and offered to help, but my typically good natured two-year-old glared at me and shouted, “No! I do it myself!” So, I sat back and waited. After a few more minutes of struggling with the shoes, he threw himself facedown and began kicking the floor. Finally worn out, he dissolved in tears and held out his arms to me whimpering “I wanna hold you!” Pulling him close, I suppressed a chuckle at the quick reversal in his emotions– I’d gone from being his enemy to his ally in a matter of seconds. 

If we’re being honest, the range of emotions toddlers display is a window into all of us. Although we become more adept at masking extreme feelings as we mature, we still feel their power. It didn’t take long to see myself in my son’s behavior—or to realize that it’s often how I behave with God.

Reading through the book of Job shows that this has been true of human nature throughout the ages. Job bounces between lamenting about what God has allowed and worshiping Him with awe and wonder. Case in point: in chapter 23 he says, “Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning… God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.” (Job 23:2 & 16)

But, just a few chapters later, he describes God’s might and power displayed in the skies and the seas and concludes by saying, “And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” (Job 26:14, NIV) Bible teacher Lisa Harper explains, “Job’s turnabout is proof that human emotions can be an extremely fickle tour guide, therefore, they are not to be followed blindly.” (p. 88) 

Like Job, David also vacillates between extreme emotions throughout the Psalms. Consider these laments in Psalm 62: “How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down—this leaning wall, this tottering fence?  Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.” You might be surprised to discover these complaints about his circumstances are immediately followed by praise: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:3-8, NIV)

David’s words give the key ingredients for worshiping God even when hard situations throw us off kilter. They also build a framework for engaging the Lord when our hearts are weary and hope is wearing thin. Psalm 62 models how to lay our woes before God and invites us to worship Him when we’re shaken to the core. There are a few specific things it encourages us to do:

-Find Rest in Him: So often when we’re on unsteady ground we feel emotionally and spiritually depleted. Our empty tanks lead us to seek rest in things that distract us for a while, but ultimately leave us feeling unfulfilled. Maybe we anesthetize in front of a TV screen, lose ourselves in a good book, numb ourselves shopping online or scrolling through social media, or calm ourselves with a glass of wine. These things aren’t wrong, but they only soothe us temporarily. None of them will sustain us with the deep rest and reassurance our souls crave. And they won’t equip us with renewed strength or realigned perspective required to jump back into the fray. So, next time you’re feeling soul-weary, take refuge in time with the Lord first and let Him provide the deep rejuvenation you need. 

-Remain Steady on the Solid Rock: The world invites us to build our lives on a variety of foundations: wealth, power, education, social standing, and appearance, to name a few. Instead of seeing these things as gifts and tools given by God, we expect them to keep us steady and secure. And when they fail us, we’re shattered. Conversely, when we build our lives on the Lord, He provides a foundation that is steady no matter what storms blow through our lives. Remaining firmly planted on Him, we can withstand chaotic and uncertain times. When you’re feeling unsteady because something you hold dear is threatened, take heart in the Lord’s steadfast love and worship Him as the Solid Rock that truly endures.

-Find Hope in Him: Like our security, we often seek hope in worldly circumstances–the promise of a happy home, a healthy body, a robust financial portfolio, a fulfilling career, or a comfortable retirement. Sometimes we even view godly friendships and good marriages as our ultimate mainstays. But if our future hope rests in people or circumstances, then we’re treating temporary things like they’re of eternal significance. Conversely, the hope we find in the Lord sustains us through both good and bad seasons. It encompasses something far beyond anything our broken world offers. That’s a good reason to worship the Lord.

Before tragedy struck, Job had many of the worldly things we pursue for rest, security, and hope.  When he lost all of them, he knew he still had God. He was honest with the Lord about his woes but he also continued to worship Him.

The next time you’re feeling weary, unsteady, or hopeless, use David’s words in Psalm 62 to regain your confidence. Ask the Lord to help you find rest in Him. Thank Him for being your solid rock and firm foundation. Celebrate that your hope and security are grounded in Him. Even if your circumstances don’t change immediately, your perspective will.

Pat Barrett’s song “Better” reminds us the Lord is better than money, appearance, power, and approval. We may feel woeful when we lose these things, but when we focus on God’s character, we can begin to worship knowing we rest secure on His solid foundation. 

Lisa Harper, Job: A Story of Unlikely Joy, Lifeway Press, 2018.

Sunshine and Shadows

In one day, Job lost his ten children, numerous servants, and all the livestock he owned, obliterating his family and livelihood. Consumed by grief, he tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground to worship God saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21, NIV)

Scripture tells us, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:22, NIV)

While Job’s grief was still fresh “Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” (Job 2:7-10, NIV)

What strikes me most isn’t the tragedy of Job’s losses, but his response to them. In his grief, he worshiped the Lord and accepted the harsh turn of events. Does this surprise you like it does me? Praising God through difficult times feels foreign to us. Maybe it’s because our culture seems obsessed with comfort and ease and labels anything that’s hard or painful as bad or wrong. 

Even among Christians, there is a sense that God is good… as long as He does things the way we want. We thank Him when He answers prayers according to our desires and question Him when He implements a different plan. We’ve developed a quiet sense of entitlement, believing we have a right to certain things. We think we deserve a smooth path devoid of obstacles and are injured and indignant when God allows hardship instead. We take the good things in our lives for granted instead of seeing them as blessings. And we question whether God really is good or loving when something hard happens that disrupts what we consider “normal.” We rarely embrace that life is a balance of sunshine and shadows. Instead, we become doubtful, cynical, or self-pitying when dark clouds obscure our bright skies.

Sometimes we forget that the Lord deserves praise regardless of our circumstances. We focus on what He does or doesn’t do instead of who He is. I remember being struck by this realization many years ago when I witnessed parallel tragedies with opposite outcomes. In the span of two years, two little girls I loved faced dire situations: one was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the other almost drowned. Both spent time in the hospital ICU with grim diagnoses. One ended up losing her life; the other made a full recovery. Both came from families of faith who had prayed for miracles and trusted God to do what was best.

I don’t know why the Lord chose to heal one while allowing the other to die. It remains a mystery why one family got to resume their “normal” life, while the other was altered forever. Despite the opposite outcomes, both families accepted the pain God had allowed and grew deeper in their relationships with Him. Their trust in the Lord was inspiring and had a ripple effect on everyone who knew them, and many who didn’t.

These incidents gave me a fuller understanding of the Psalmist who says: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2, NIV ‘84) As followers of Jesus, we understand that salvation and security lie outside the realm of circumstances. Whether earthly events turn out well or not, our true hope has an eternal perspective because death cannot separate us from God. 

There is a temptation to spend so much time questioning the Lord in hard times that we miss the opportunity to trust Him and let Him comfort us.  We wrestle with doubt and ask, “Why is God letting this happen?” Meanwhile, we overlook the places where He is showing up; where He is giving us tangible answers. Being consumed by self-pity also causes us to miss the ways He wants to teach and refine us through painful times. Additionally, it means we bypass chances to show others His goodness. In God’s economy, pain shouldn’t be wasted like this.

We can’t forget that no matter what hardships we encounter in this life, God wins in the end.  The Psalmist states it so clearly: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands… On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:3-4,6-8, NIV ‘84) Ultimate hope doesn’t come from expecting God to turn circumstances in our favor; it comes from knowing His love is better than even life itself. Trusting His hand to hold us up and remembering that He walks with us through the darkness gives us the comfort we need. Because of His presence, we can find joy in the darkness– not a happy, smiling, giddy kind of joy, but a deep, peaceful assurance that He is in control and always has been.

Beloved author and preacher Oswald Chambers wrote: “We imagine we would be all right if a big crisis arose; but the big crisis will only reveal the stuff we are made of, it will not put anything into us… Crises always reveal character.” When we put our trust in God and walk with Him daily, when we seek His face, study His word, and obey Him in humble reliance, we will see Him molding and shaping our characters little by little.  At the same time, He will be revealing His character and His goodness to us. And when trouble comes, we’ll continue to trust Him and give Him the praise He deserves.

“Yes I Will” by Vertical Worship is a song of defiant praise during hardship. Let it fill you with renewed hope today.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Discovery House Publishers, 1935, 1963, Sept. 10 entry.  

Peeling off Self-Confidence and Finding God-Confidence

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“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

 In the early spring when the hills are green and the flowers are blooming, there is nothing better than taking a mountain bike ride.  The only “down side” is that early spring includes cold mornings, which means I have to layer up clothes if I don’t want to freeze.   There are days when I’m tempted to leave my down vest on before I head out, but I know I’ll regret it later.  As my body adjusts to the air and my muscles warm up, I begin to peel off the layers one by one.  There is nothing worse than being out on the trail encumbered with a bunch of gear that I no longer need.

This is a bit like the difference between placing confidence in us and placing confidence in God. Just like my layers of clothing on a cold bike ride, we layer ourselves up with things on the outside, hoping they will make us feel complete on the inside.   Starting in childhood and moving into adulthood, we learn to base our confidence on grades, awards, activities, social connections, appearance, athletic ability and other skills.  As long as we “show well,” we feel good about ourselves.  However, this is an exhausting cycle to maintain.  Someone is always just a little better or has achieved just a little more.   Even great friendships can have rough patches that leave us feeling vulnerable and uncertain.  There is nothing inherently “wrong” with the things I’ve listed, but if we pursue them to feel good about ourselves, they become layers we pile on that only bog us down.  Self-confidence proves to be elusive, like catching a slippery fish in our hands only to have it wriggle out and swim away.

In contrast, Lysa TerKeurst coins the term “God- confidence,” which is like the warmth that comes from inside me once I get going on my ride.  It is what causes me to peel off protective layers and expose myself to the elements because my heat source is coming from my interior instead of being piled on my exterior.  Much the same, God- confidence is not dependent upon our circumstances, achievements or approval from other people.  It is something we can carry inside of us at all times when we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Self-confidence says:  “I look good enough to walk in that door and impress people.”

God confidence says:  “I am loved enough by God to walk in that door and show kindness to others.”

Self-confidence says:  “I’m smart enough and well-educated enough to carry on a conversation with this group.”

God-confidence says:  “I know the truth of who I am in Christ, He will give me the words to say in this situation.”

Self-confidence says: “I’m willing to say, ‘yes’ because this is comfortable and safe, I’ve done it before and I know I’m good at it.”

God-confidence says:  “This is beyond me, but I am going to trust God to lead me and equip me according to His plans.”

Self-confidence says:  “I’m acceptable because I’m included in the group.  Because other people validate me, I know I’m worth something.”

God-confidence says:  “Whether people include me or not will not shake my confidence.  I’m at peace knowing that God loves me, whether I’m overlooked or included by people”

Self-confidence says:  “Life is good because circumstances are situated in my favor.”

God-confidence says:  “Whether my circumstances are good or bad, I trust that God is in control.”

Self-confidence may falter when:

-The “perfect outfit” we bought a few years ago suddenly seems dated

-We gain a few pounds

-A person we love doesn’t seem to have time for us

-We hear about a gathering and we weren’t included

-People rave about the person who was filling in for something we usually do

-An illness or injury keeps us from our usual activities

-We aren’t receiving as much affirmation as we’d like

-Our social schedule isn’t full

-Our social media “friends” seem to take better vacations, have cuter kids, and do more “cool” stuff than our families

-Our accomplishments or achievements pale in comparison to someone else’s

-We make a huge mistake

-We’re not “up” on the latest news/technology/fashion/music/trends

-We compare ourselves to others

-No one notices when we’re gone or welcomes us when we return

God-confidence may falter when:

-We take our eyes off Him

-We focus on our problems and let them magnify

-We look to other people to reassure us, fill us up or give us approval

-We focus on our exteriors instead of our interiors

-We let a difficult situation breed stress in us

-We can’t trust God with things we don’t understand

Being God-confident doesn’t mean we’ll always feel great about ourselves, but we’ll know that we have a God who loves us and will never leave us.  It means trusting Him to give us the power we need instead of trying to conjure it up on our own.  God-confidence leaves us unencumbered by the things that might otherwise weigh us down.  We can walk confidently not because of who we are or what we’ve done, but because of who God is and what Jesus did for us on the cross.

I love the way Lysa TerKeurst describes this God-confidence in What Happens When Women Say “Yes” to God:  “This is the way God wants me to dance through life…In my mind’s eye He is there.  The touch of His gaze wraps about me, comforts me, assures me, and makes the world seem strangely dim.  As long as my gaze is locked on his, I dance and he smiles.  The snickers and jeers of others fade away.  Though I hear their razor sharp intentions, they are unable to pierce my heart and distract my focus.  Even my own stumblings don’t cause the same feelings of defeat.  My steps so often betray the desire of my heart, but it is not my perfect performance that captures His attention.  Rather, it is my complete dependence on Him that He notices” (pp. 88-89).

When we place our confidence in God, there should be no reason for insecurity, fear or feelings of inadequacy. If Christ lives in us, we already have everything we need, it is just a matter of believing it to be true and then living with our gaze fixed on Him.

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken”  (Psalm 62:1-2)

One way I find perspective when I’ve drifted from God-confidence is to listen to great music.  Click on the links below to hear two songs that help me regain my focus:  “We Won’t be Shaken” by Building 429 and “Strangely Dim” by Francesca Battistelli.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJhOgb-unI

Building Your Core Strength

“God leads us by unexpected ways, off the strong and solid land.”

-Amy Carmichael

Clenching my toes in the wet sand, I looked up at the grey clouds filtering the early morning sun.  It was the last day of our family vacation and I planned to make the most of it, whether it rained or not.  Stand-up Paddle Surfing had been our family’s favorite activity in the Newport Harbor all week.  The final morning dawned cool and damp after an overnight rainstorm, but the calm bay beckoned me onward.  Other days we’d stood on the beach in gentle afternoon breezes that felt more like fierce headwinds once we paddled out on the bay.  Battling strong currents and choppy water, we’d bent our knees to avoid being toppled by wakes of passing boats. Each day we paddled out, our core muscles became stronger and our legs more steady as we balanced on the constantly moving boards.  I didn’t want to pass up the chance to glide through calm waters on that final day.

To the casual observer, paddle surfing hardly looks like a sport.  Before I tried it, people told me it was a great “core” workout.  Although I’d often been unaware when out on the water, the soreness of my muscles afterward told me they were right. Our “core” is essentially our torso, which Certified Personal Trainer Paige Waehner describes as “the body’s center of power.”  She explains that “these core muscles help keep your body stable and balanced.”  Waehner says that among the benefits of working on the core is having “interesting workouts that challenge you in new and different ways.”

Having a strong physical core significantly impacts our quality of life.  It makes our bodies more durable and less susceptible to injury.  Similarly, having a strong spiritual core affects every part of our daily lives.  The more we lean into God and trust His promises, the stronger our core becomes.  His strength becomes part of the fiber of who we are and is readily available for us at all times.  And just like those physical core workouts, God give us challenges that stretch us in new and different ways.

It takes consistent sweat and effort to build our physical strength, whether it is by intentionally doing core-strengthening workouts or engaging in an activity like paddle surfing where it happens naturally.  Similarly, our spiritual core strengthening can happen in several ways. We can be diligent about studying God’s word, praying, serving, giving and connecting with others who follow Him.  However, sometimes we get a spiritual core-strengthening workout when we least expect it.   In The Shelter of God’s Promises Sheila Walsh says “Life’s greatest trials often come without a moment’s notice.  There is no prep time or convenient moment to book them on our daily calendars.  They brutishly make their way into our lives and threaten to undo us…When we look back, those moments can become milestones and strong pillars of our testimony because we survived on His strength alone” (p. 152).   If our disciplined pursuit of God strengthens our spiritual “muscles”, then the trials we face provide the opportunity to show off God’s strength.

The Bible assures us we are going to have trials, but how we respond to them is our choice. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  If we really believe this, we can be encouraged knowing that God is trustworthy.   He has the big picture in mind for our lives that we can’t always see from our limited perspective.

Looking back, I realize how God has used trials to strengthen my core and to increase my trust in Him.  I didn’t enjoy going through them, but I am thankful for the ways He used them to strengthen me.  Through the things I’ve learned, I have been able to encourage others going through similar difficulties.  I can point to specific scriptures that brought hope and reassurance to me in hard times:  1 Peter 1:6-7 as I struggled through my freshman year in college, Jeremiah 17:7-8 and Psalm 27:13-14 as my husband and I prayed through a major career change for him, Psalm 62 & 63 during some severe illnesses of different family members.  Those passages became a lifeline for me, reassuring me of God’s presence and enabling me to have a supernatural strength I never could have had on my own.

Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling is one of my favorite daily devotionals.  Each day’s writing combines several scriptures and speaks to the reader as if it is directly from the voice of God.  A recent entry caught my eye: “Learn to appreciate difficult days.  Be stimulated by the challenges you encounter along your way.  As you journey through rough terrain with Me, gain confidence from your knowledge that together we can handle anything.  This knowledge is comprised of three parts:  your relationship with Me, promises in the Bible, and past experiences of coping successfully during hard times.” (p.327)

So, when the headwinds blow and I’m struggling against the current, I can bend my knees and dig in my paddle with confidence knowing that God is going to give me strength I need.

What about you?  When has God led you in “unexpected ways off solid land”?  Do you have a few Bible verses that have sustained you through hard times?  As you look back, what milestones reveal God’s strength that you never could have mustered on your own?  Post a comment and share it to encourage and strengthen others!