Lord, Renew my Strength!

Lately, I’ve been navigating relationships and situations that I’ve spent years avoiding. Why? Because I’ve Heard God clearly instruct me to stop being the separator I’ve become, filled with disdain towards some and apathy toward others because it’s easier for me. I come today feeling old and worn, vulnerable and fragile. Full of more problems than solutions. Instead of the joy of restoration with camaraderie and peace, I’m exhausted. It feels like I’m subjecting myself to the same old hurts, continually venturing into the areas of deeps wounds that caused me to close off in the first place with no benefit. Nothing changes! Nothing gets better!

Psalm 3

O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

many are saying of my soul,

“There is no salvation for him in God.”

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord,

And he answered me from his holy hill.

I lay down and slept;

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O Lord!

Save me, O my God!

For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;

You break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation belongs to the Lord;

Your blessing be on your people!

I love reading the Psalms and engaging with the emotions that come with the hardness of life. While God’s instruction is simple, battling our sinful hearts and navigating relationships with others who have sinful hearts proves extremely challenging. It’s a downward spiral of hurting and being hurt. We hurt others because they continue to hurt us. They hurt us because we continue to hurt them. Through the onslaught and the pain, we can become so caught up in what is going on around us; all we see is the trial. Psalms, such as this one, remind us of some truths about dealing with trials that renew our strength and encourage us to, once again, put our trust in the Lord.

1. Cry aloud to the LORD and not EVERYONE else. Our tendency is to complain to everyone, to seek counsel from many, and to not engage the Lord at all. “Lord, you are my protection, and you remove my humiliation. I cry aloud to you today.”

2. Trust in the LORD and not EVERYTHING else. No matter who or what is pressing in around us. Not matter how bleak it looks, things are going exactly according to God’s plan. “Lord, I trust your promise that you are working everything to the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose.”

3. Peace comes from the LORD and not ANYTHING else. Because God is always with us, it is as readily found in the valley of the shadow of death as it is found in green pastures. Our hearts and minds are guarded by the Lord beyond understanding. “Lord, thank you for sustaining me and bringing peace to my heart so I can rest well.”

4. Safety and protection come from the LORD and NOTHING else. I do not need to fear one or thousands who are seeking to devour me, because if God is for me, who can be against me? “God, break the teeth of the wicked. While they still may snarl and bite, render it ineffective to harm me.”

God, I need you to remind me again that I am seen and loved. I am set apart, that you have made me exactly as I am for a purpose and that I am your beautiful creation. Prevent me from crawling back into the dark and hiding. Remind me that hardness and suffering for your sake is joyous. I fail when I continue in my own strength. I need you to renew my strength and I need to soar on your wings. I need to trust your ways and not lean on my own understanding. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, so if I experience the same result from the same people hundreds of more times, hundreds of more times you will meet me in my need and provide exactly what I need to bring honor and glory to your name.