Do you ever wake up feeling tense and tired instead of refreshed and rejuvenated? I had one of those mornings today. It is a sure sign that I was focusing my mind on my circumstances and not on God’s grace and provision.
I knew that I was going to be working late and I knew that I had tasks that needed to be completed before I left for work and somewhere along the line those tasks became my focus. In other words, I stopped abiding with Him in my mind and in my heart and I became troubled and not at all peaceful.
I needed to spend some time alone with the Lord, confess my wrongs and allow him to renew my mind. My devotional took me to Psalm 143 and as I read and re-read it I was amazed at how relevant and wonderful the words were to me.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
This was exactly my situation. I was talking to God and asking Him to hear me and to forgive me for my wrong and acknowledging that I have no righteousness apart from Him.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.
Do you want to know where your doubts and fears come from and who encourages such thoughts? Look no further than the evil one who is our enemy and the enemy of all that is good. Spend any time at all listening to him and your heart, like mine, will become distressed.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
Remembrance of God’s mighty works in your life and in the lives of other believers and in His Word is always good medicine for a troubled heart. It reminds us that God is faithful and strong to save. In our remembrance we gain hope and in our hope we gain joy for what God has done and what He is about to do.
7 Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
With hope in the Lord and joy in our hearts our requests and our praise comes naturally. I urgently wanted to hear from God and to know His direction for me today and it was then, as I sought him with all of my heart, the He answered and encouraged me. He will do the same for you!
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.
10 Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
God is so faithful and so good to us. He always hears and answers a genuine prayer made in faith from one of His children. He shows us His will and He leads us one step at a time as long as we continue to take shelter in Him.
11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.
I am a servant of the King. He has revived me for His name sake and He has set me back on His path and restored my soul. I praise Him for His greatness and mercy today and I pray that if you are weary and troubled that you read and apply Psalm 143. It will greatly bless you, just as it did for me.