Psalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music.

I get the distinct impression that David wrote this, not when he got news about Saul’s forces, but when God spoke his deliverance into his heart. From the beginning of the Psalm he is crying out to God, describing his troubles as destructive storms (verse 1) and his enemies as fiery beasts, with remarkably graphic imagery (verse 4). However, from verse 5 he shifts to praising God for who and what He is, and it is at that point that God’s presence floods his soul with assurance that everything will be all right. We too need to be that way, rejoicing in God’s deliverance even when we don’t yet see it physically. We need to be as Paul said, living by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) When we do that, this world will hold no terrors, because we will know that “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) As Jesus said, in this world we will have trouble, (John 16:33) but when our focus is on Him and His kingdom, all the trouble fades into insignificance. The devil does all he can to grab our attention, so God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) need to be our conscious choice of priority. When that is the case, His peace and joy will be ours to a degree the world simply cannot understand. (Philippians 4:7)

This is something I am growing in. Yesterday, completely out of the blue, I had a call from a mental hospital saying they had a patient who wanted to become a Christian. When I showed up, it turned out that he had been hospitalized for depression, but 50 years ago he had heard the Gospel and received a Bible, and recently he has been turning to God in prayer and discovering He really is there. I came back from that visit on a definite high! Then this morning when I checked my phone, I found a message that someone we are connected with is in the City Hospital ICU, having been taken by ambulance last night, with what appears to be acute hepatitis. We never know what each day will bring! I need to lift both of those men up to God in prayer and trust, but not feel like they are personally my burden to bear. I’m sure I will be involved in both cases, but it is God who will do the heavy lifting, even if it looks like I’m the one doing it at a given moment. I need to remember that God’s good plans apply not only to me but also to everyone around me, and rejoice to be involved in it all.

Father, thank You for always being there, and for always caring. Thank You for Your perfect plans and for involving me in them. I ask for clear vision, clear perception, so that I may recognize what You want me to do in every situation and do it, with joy and gratitude, so that Your will may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!