“In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 31:1 NIV
We live in an day and age when it is all about stress management. Many of us as Christians do not always turn to the living God and take refuge in Him! If we dare to suggest that someone under stress trust in God, we will often be met with scorn, even by fellow Christians. Try this for a stressful situation: a group of enemies have conspired together to kill you. They have instigated a widespread campaign of slander and lies. As a result, your name has become a reproach, even among your neighbours and former friends. When they see you coming, they turn and run the other way. They fear being identified in any way with you, because they figure that your time is short. They don’t want to be implicated by association. As a result, you are struggling with depression. You also realize that many of your troubles stem from your own sin. So, on top of everything else, you’re wrestling with guilt. The whole experience has taken its toll on your health. You don’t have the strength to perform your daily tasks. Your body is wasting away. Wherever you look, it seems that terror is staring you in the face. This is how David describes his situation in Psalm 31. We can’t be certain of the exact situation that lay behind this psalm. Many think that it relates to being rescued from a besieged city because David mentions this in verse 21. But in light of David’s reference to his own sin (verse 10), the belief is that David wrote this psalm in connection with Absalom’s rebellion. To whom do you turn in times of stress?
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord, help me to turn to You in times of stress.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, in those trying times, help us to be like David, who took refuge in You during his most challenging and stressful times. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
Genesis 9:8-17
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