photo credit: Rich Anderson
“I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” (Psalm 116:10 NCV).
How has this economy affected you? Did your portfolio plummet just when you were ready to retire? Did the business you built through years of diligence go under? Did your hours get cut or did you lose your job? When life knocks you down, how is your faith? Do you trust God or do you blame Him?
It seems like a contradiction to validate your belief while proclaiming, “I am completely ruined.” But is it? In this short verse, David demonstrates a deep faith.
- Being “ruined” didn’t affect his belief. David knew that despite the roller coasters of life, God never changes. His belief, therefore, was not based on what God had done for him recently, but on God himself.
- David knew to pray when his life was on the rocks. Instead of succumbing to self pity, he knew where his source was. He didn’t look outward or inward; he looked upward. This takes faith.
- David knew that he could be completely honest with God without offending Him. A note to parents: Don’t you wish your children would seek you and trust you when things aren’t going well for them? Our heavenly father longs for the same from us.
Times can get tough. Very tough. Emotionally, we might feel like running from God. But he loves us and wants us to give him all of our troubles and cares. Are you flat on your back? It is a good time to look up. You will experience a closeness to your heavenly Father that you never dreamed imaginable.
It can be so easy to be thankful to God for all he has done when times are good. It’s much harder to be thankful, and look to him when times are tough. When we do focus on him, we are rewarded, and find a closeness to Him that is beyond compare.