Psalm 28:1, 8 To you I call, O Lord my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I shall be like those who have gone down to the pit.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

These two verses in the same Psalm indicate a pretty wide mood swing, but that’s how life is. David starts out by acknowledging that if God doesn’t listen to him, he’s done for. Then before he can even finish the Psalm he has changed gears to praise and joy. I don’t believe his circumstances had changed much if any in that interval. What had changed was the focus and attitude of his heart. The key is found in the middle of this verse: “My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” This sort of thing is why David is such an important example for every believer. We too need to see and acknowledge that we are nothing without God, but then trust that in Him we can do everything we need to. (Philippians 4:13) I keep coming back to the importance of trust. Faith can seem very theoretical, but trust is practical. We can believe that a chair is well designed and made, but we’ve got to trust it before we will sit down in it. Spiritually speaking, out faith grows when it is exercised in trust. I find that a lot of people “believe” that God is omnipotent and benevolent, but when push comes to shove, they have a lot of trouble trusting Him with specific details of their lives. Like David, we may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude. If we do, we will find that God is indeed our strength and shield.

This is exactly where I find myself this morning. I woke up in something of a funk, resenting some of the things on my schedule and wanting to run off and hide somewhere. However, I know that God has demonstrated Himself to be faithful to me more times than I could count. As I make the choice to trust Him with today and its schedule, the burden is lifted. Resentment is a killer! I am to keep my eyes open to recognize the devil’s traps and refuse to get caught in them. (2 Corinthians 2:11, Ephesians 6:11) I am to choose trust, step by step and moment by moment. If I will do that, His wisdom and power will flow through me and I will accomplish all I am called on to do, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word this morning. I need it! Help me be consistent in trusting You, not just talking about it. Thank You that Your grace is indeed sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) May I be Your agent in all I do today, so that Your kingdom may come and Your name acknowledged as Your will is done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!