5 Days to Seeing Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurstSample

Suspicious of God

Yesterday we talked about trusting God in the midst of both sorrow and celebration. 

But I think we can all admit that it’s hard not to feel suspicious of God when our circumstances don’t seem to line up with His promises. And it’s difficult not to doubt the light of His truth when everything around us looks dark.

That’s why I want us to look at Psalm 57 – a passage penned by David in the midst of a season when his circumstances and God’s promises appear to be in complete and total opposition.

At this point David had already been anointed as the future king of Israel and had faithfully served King Saul. Sadly, though, Saul “rewarded” David with persecution and death threats. David was left to run for his life and then hide out in a cave.

And David wasn’t hiding alone. First Samuel 22:1–2 tells us the four hundred men under David’s leadership were in distress, in debt, and discontented. I wouldn’t judge David for one second if he had cried out to God in utter defeat.

But the words he wrote in Psalm 57 are neither exclusively a psalm of lament nor a psalm of thanksgiving. David didn’t deny the darkness of his situation, but he also refused to allow his soul to get stuck in a place of despair. Instead, David chose to declare praises about the true nature and character of God. He reminded his soul of who God is—a God who fulfills His purposes (v. 2), a God who saves (v. 3), a God known for His faithfulness and steadfast love (vv. 2, 10).

Even though David’s soul was “bowed down” by his circumstances (v. 6), he allowed what he knew to be true about God to steady him. This enabled David to declare: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” (v. 7, ESV).

In a cave that surely felt like an end to all he hoped and dreamed, David acknowledged his distress, but he also lifted his eyes to praise God. David’s praise wasn’t in vain. It steadied his heart. And his painful circumstances weren’t wasted. God used those hardships to mature David. Yes, David had already been anointed to eventually become king. But it was in the womb of the earth where God met him and birthed in him a heart ready to lead.

Darkness was the perfect training ground for David’s destiny. And those difficult places we so desperately want to be done with can become good training ground for us as well. But we must decide, will we see our dark times as a womb or a tomb? Will we fix our eyes on the truth of God’s goodness, or will we give in to hopelessness and despair?

Oh, friend. I know the dark places are scary. But let’s choose to believe there is purpose in every season, even the ones that don’t seem to make any sense. Let’s ask God to birth something new inside of us, allowing Him to do a work in us that will better prepare us to walk out His promises. And instead of being suspicious of Him, let’s lift up our praises to Him.

Praise may not shift our circumstances, but it will definitely begin to change our hearts. 

RESPOND: 

What have you been fixing your eyes on more recently - the enormity and difficulty of your circumstances or the character of our good and faithful God? Take some time to read through Psalm 57 and Psalm 36. Write out the attributes of God you find that bring your heart peace and hope.