“What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me” Psalm 116:12
I started reading Psalms and Proverbs daily at the beginning of the month. I read Psalm 13 this week, and I love the questions David asked as he lamented to God. It shows us that we can share our heartache with God. Being perfectly honest with God, especially in the presence of pain, is one of the first steps towards turning to God with that pain and believing in His restorative power.
“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2). Our thoughts can engulf us, particularly in times of adversity. The word “wrestle” vividly depicts a back-and-forth struggle, a battle of winning and losing. In a wrestling match, victory is achieved by outmaneuvering and overpowering the opponent. Similarly, when we grapple with defeating thoughts, the best move is to surrender them to God and lean on His strength. Through His word and strength, we can conquer the thoughts that haunt us. If we rely on our strength, we will lose the wrestling match every time.
Our enemies are numerous and can include doubt, fear, and unbelief. Every believer struggles at some point with the enemies of the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), especially David. But David has a solution. “But I will trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me” (vs. 5-6). This psalm is about God’s loving way of sustaining us in times of trouble by remembering His faithfulness and goodness. I love how David ends with he will sing to the Lord. Sing loud enough to drown out the thoughts!
The picture was taken at a local NC beach. God’s creation sings of His majestic power, grace, and beauty. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” Isaiah 43:2. His sustaining power is evidenced along the shores of every beach, symbolizing the unrelenting presence of God amidst the wrestling tides of our lives. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.