“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us (Ps 62:8).”
I find it difficult to trust God. I find faith challenging. I wonder at David’s charge to trust God at all times. Trust God in the midst of the divorce. Trust God in the midst of financial ruin. Trust God in the midst of the job loss. Trust God in the midst of natural disaster. Trust God in the midst of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. How is that possible?
David, who exhorts us, did not lead an enchanted life. He knew well suffering, fear, grief, angst, trauma. For years David lived and served King Saul who repeatedly abused him with his words and actions. Saul not only threatened David’s life but attempted to murder him, to destroy him. David eventually fled for his life and lived on the run for many years. He hid in caves. He feared for his life. And yet in the midst of all this he had the courage to believe. He hoped for deliverance. He trusted God. He rested in His salvation and loyal love.
I wonder how. But his faith didn't mean he never struggled to understand God in the midst of the strife. His psalms of lament capture his frustration, dread and concern. Maybe that is where I err. Maybe I confuse my questions for a lack of faith. Perhaps then what separates those with faith and those with unbelief is not confusion, struggles or doubts but rather where we take these frustrations and sorrows. David exhorts us to pour our hearts—with all their anger, sorrow, fear—before God. To himself he writes, “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him” (Ps 62:5). For God only. When he felt overwhelmed he ran to God. How often I tend to run to other people and things.
So where do we find our refuge? Television? Alcohol? Food? A busy schedule? A person? David found hope in God. He took shelter in Him. We must remember, however, that a refuge doesn’t make the storm stop; rather, it provides shelter as the storm rages. Shelter as you clean out your desk at work. Shelter as you sign the papers. Shelter as the bruises surface.
In the midst of whatever we may be facing, let us found the courage to bear our hearts before God. Let us dare to hope in His unfailing love. Despite the confusion we may feel or the anger we may have towards Him, let us pour these out at into His arms of grace. May we have assurance knowing that David, a man after God’s own heart, also struggled with God. Yet he still came to Him. And that made all the difference. In coming he received peace, love, hope.
