Oh Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Psalm 25: 1 NLT.
This short verse opens Psalm 25. I find myself increasingly drawn to this simple but profound prayer. This week, our family has dealt with life’s troubles.
My older sister Carol is getting ready to transition to heaven. This was not unexpected, but it is still difficult. She lives four hours away. I struggled to decide if I should drop everything and go be with her and her daughter. So I prayed this prayer, Lord, I trust you. When I talked with my niece, I realized it was best for me to stay here. They have hospice care, and that seems to be all they need right now.
My granddaughter just got her driver’s license last week. Tuesday afternoon, she was driving with her mother. A man pulling a trailer got distracted. He plowed into their car. The car is now being evaluated to see if it is worth fixing. The other driver took full responsibility for the accident. The good news, no one went to the ER. We are grateful. It was frightening to hear about. Yet, it was another chance to say: thank you Lord for keeping them safe and I continue to trust you.
This morning my son-in-law fell. The pain was so intense he passed out. Now, they are running many tests to see if there was any internal damage done to any of his organs. Amid all these tests, I am declaring, “Lord, I trust you”. I trust you to show the doctors any critical issue. I trust you to meet their needs. Keep fear far from them. Just hear:d. No fractures seen. CT scan looks great. Use of ibuprofen/tylenol alternating for pain along with lidocaine patches. Monitoring his heart for twenty-four hours and a breathing tool to prevent pneumonia. Declaring my trust in Him helps me release my faith during stressful times. It also helps me capture wild and wayward thoughts that would lead to fear, and all those “what if” scenarios!
My sister’s end-of-life situation is part of living in this world. So many wonderful memories and the fact she knows the Lord makes a hard thing a little easier. The car accident was shocking and unexpected. By the time I received the call, there were people on the scene helping. The other driver took many opportunities to reassure my granddaughter it was not her fault. Each of these things help build trust in Him even more.
Psalm 25:4 reveals another of David’s prayers that I use. Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. My friends, if we surrender to His will, He will lead us. If you are seeking His will for direction, you must determine beforehand to follow whichever road He shows you! Settle in your heart that no matter what it looks like, His road is best. Remember along that path, you will encounter truth and you will learn some lessons. Some of these lessons may be for you, or they may be to help others.
There is another aspect we need in this area of trust. We find it in verse 6. Praise the Lord! Praising the Lord in stressful times acknowledges Him again. Praising Him unlocks even more trust in Him. For he heard my cry for mercy. David declares: The Lord is my strength and shield. No matter how weak and out of control we may feel, God hasn’t changed. He is still stronger than our adversary. His shield is protecting us. We are not alone in our troubles unless we want to be. I am trying to grow in my trust, like David declares in the rest of this verse. I trust him with all my heart. This is a process. A few nights ago, my friend was facing a difficult situation. I began praying for her. My heart was broken for her. I declared through song: My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow. Strength for today is mine all the way, and all I need for tomorrow. My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow. I may have sung it with tears, but singing it released my faith. I added her name in the song, declaring the Lord knows her way through her own wilderness and I ended up sleeping peacefully.
The rest of this Psalm has good trust statements as well. I encourage you to read it. God’s Word is often like a reset to me. We can never go wrong trusting it!
Father, I thank you for teaching us to trust you. We declare with your son David, O Lord, I give my life to you, I trust in you, my God. You are so trustworthy. Forgive us when we lean unto our own understanding and decide to walk our own paths. I am so grateful you know how to “show the proper path to those who go astray (verse 9). Help us Lord, In Jesus’ Name amen.
Faith Encounters 