“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (Ps. 43:1-2).
Not too long ago, I came across some comments to an article. As I read their heartfelt comments, I was met with an awareness of their deep pain and suffering. As they wrote of clinging to God’s promises, it caused me to evaluate my own life. Lately, I have been facing a greater awareness of my suffering which has caused me to evaluate how I respond to it.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Ps. 43:5).
As Christians, we need to cling to the inspired and authoritative words in the Bible. In Psalm 43, we are given this illustration of oppression, crying out to God for deliverance, seeking His truth, and remembering the hope we have in our great God.
The Psalmist was faced with oppression, yet reminded himself of the true hope found in his beloved Lord. Like a roller coaster ride inside an amusement park, things are constantly going on in our lives. Thankfully, God’s character is unchanging, holy, just, and loving. The Lord is the only source of hope for humanity.
Throughout this study of the book of Psalms, we are learning about our need to pray through our grief and struggles. The world’s way of handling stresses and conflict is to complain and grumble. In Scripture, we are taught a different way. We are taught to pray and bring our needs to our heavenly Father. This first step is necessary, although sometimes we need to be honest, we don’t know how to approach the problems of our lives. For myself, I tend to compartmentalize the issues of my life. I am still learning to acknowledge my struggles and bring them before our most gracious heavenly Father.
I don’t know where each of you are in your life, but I know the Lord is ready to hear your struggles too. Endeavoring through our hardships is a difficult task, especially when we feel like it’s us against the world. Let’s not forget Jesus the One who is advocating for us before the Father and giving us the strength for each new day.
In this Psalm, we are given the opportunity to acknowledge our struggles before we begin our time of prayer. Before we can pour out our hearts before our loving God, we have to be willing to admit our sorrows but also the hope we find in Jesus Christ our King. The hope of God is our reason for enduring through our difficult seasons.
God’s hope is always present and isn’t limited to good days or church service times only. It is a jewel we can experience today, regardless of our circumstances.
In this Psalm, the writer is reminding himself of God and his hope. This is a needed practice for those enduring in different seasons. The promises of God are necessary during difficult times, but His promises are also equally designed to meet us on our good days too. Let’s drive our hearts to the promises and truths of God’s Word.
The Bible is flooded with promises God will meet, but let’s focus on these three as we wrap up this article:
(1) God will never leave you (Deut. 31:6).
(2) He offers Good News to you, and it is life changing (Luke 4:18-21).
(3) He is singing and dancing over you out of love (Zeph. 3:17).
Follower of Jesus Christ. Fresno Pacific University Grad (BA’s in Christian Ministry & Early Childhood Development). Author of “Grace Leads” and other writing projects. While life’s adversity has made its appearance in her life, through developmental delays and now chronic illness, she writes thoughtful pieces to give readers a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Gracefully Overcoming is where you can find out more about her writing ministry.
