Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
It is not a matter of “if I am ever afraid” but “when.” Note the first five words of today’s passage. David, the man after God’s own heart, was afraid. This psalm was written when the Philistines had overtaken him in Gath—captured by the Philistines. Now, that would strike fear in the heart of any person.
Don’t gently carry them over and lay them down. Rear back and heave them like a fisherman throwing a big net into the sea. In fact, do this: write down your cares—your fears, anxiety, dread, doubts, turmoil, or worry—on a sheet of paper. Put it in a bag. Go to your church and lay the bag at the foot of the cross.
Sometimes, we experience an earthquake of the soul. Our world is shaken by the surges of uninvited waters. Waves of chaos pound our confused hearts. Yet when these inevitable times come, we can stand strong. Here’s what the psalmist wrote:
Broken hearts come in many forms. Some are caused by sixth-grade breakups, others by a spouse walking out after twenty-five years. Some come from the rejection of a dear friend, others by reckless words that pierce like a sword. Broken hearts also come from job loss, illness, loneliness, the death of loved ones, or the death of a dream.
When uncertainty comes, and it will, this psalm gives us three truths that we can drive like stakes into the ground to keep us steady. Let’s consider each truth-stake.
In the English language, “hope” is kind of a fuzzy word. It describes a wish or desire that something will happen or turn out a certain way. We might hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, but tomorrow brings a downpour. In our language, hope has no guarantees.