Scriptures: Psalm 118:1-14 Today we are looking at Psalm 118 where David is writing a song of praise, but we can see through his writing that behind his praise there appears to be a great deal of pain. He says, in verse 5, "in my anguish I cried to the Lord." David was writing about events which caused him much pain: dark periods in his life. Like David, we all face times of suffering: its a universal condition for all mankind. We have heart breaking moments: losing jobs, losing homes, losing loved ones, divorce, disease, destruction and more. These are times of tears and sorrow; being human we feel hurt, alone and lonely. We feel confusion, anger and then guilt for feeling those emotions. We need a way to transfer our disappointment from our fragile souls to another source, we need someone to carry away our hostiliies. In these situations we are left with two choices: turn away from God or turn to God for help. When we turn away from God we are choosing the darkness and despair. With this decision we are left with manmade resources and worldly help. When we turn to God we allow our faith to open doors towards hope. With God we have all the resources of the kingdom and the church to lead, help and guide us. Deciding to turn towards God is turning towards the light instead of the darkness. David was a man that God respected. Do you wonder why that is with all the bad decisions David made? Because David wanted God's approval and guidance even during dark moments. David's praise for God convinced his heart that God was in control, his writing proclaimed: "His love endures forever," "The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid," and "God is my helper and right early." His praise for God pushed back the darkness and opened a window to let in the light. Ask yourself have you been letting the light in to your situation? Have you read your Bible when you are feeling pain and sorrow? We must remember that our tears and sorrows are stepping stones to our triumphs and victories. Tears and sorrow have a purpose, for David they made him into a great King! What are you going to use your hard times for? Behind this pain God has purpose for your life, but you have to be willing to turn away from the darkness and let His light help you with the pain and sorrow. Comments are closed.
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