Honesty Goes a Long Way!

 I think one of the things I love about the Psalms is how open and honest the psalmists are about their feelings. They don't seem to hold much back when it comes to their emotions, fears, doubts, or anxieties. The psalmists tend to just lay it all out there and then wait for God to swoop in and help clean it all up. David wasn't afraid to say he shed tears. They were open about all their fears and the crazy stuff they were going through. And God let it all be put in the Bible!

This morning, I was reading Psalm 95, but I noticed a verse in Psalm 94 that I had previously marked. In verse 19, the psalmist says, When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (NLT) In Psalm 119:50, David says, this is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life. (NKJV) I think what stood out to me in these verses is that God didn't avoid the psalmist because they were sharing "negative" feelings or emotions. Instead, He seemed to move in closer to them and He brought along comfort both times.

People tend to avoid us because they don't know how to handle our situations, especially emotionally. There are no buttons to push to make everything "normal" so we are often ignored. I don't know about you - but I have very few friends who are willing to even try to understand my circumstances. Thankfully, I have a couple! Caregiving can be a long, lonely road - but thankfully, God gets that. There isn't one ounce of avoidance in Him - that's never His strategy!

In both of these verses, God moved in to bring comfort to the troubled psalmist. I love that about God. He comes right in to our crazy, upsetting, troubled circumstances and brings all that He is to the table. He doesn't withhold His peace until we can get it together. (What is there to "get together" anyway?) He doesn't say when we sraighten up or become emotionally stable then He'll give us peace or walk with us. NO! He comes right on in and sits with us full of comfort, peace, direction, wisdom, and soul salve. I love that about Him.

We wouldn't know He could calm the storm if we'd never been in one. We wouldn't know He could heal if we were never sick. We wouldn't understand the value of His peace if we'd never had a troubled soul. But here He sits. Right in our messy lives. Full of peace. Ready to distribute grace for the day. Refreshing His mercies each morning - just for us.

Today, I will trust that He is near no matter how crazy my emotions may get. I'll remind myself that He comes with comfort when I am doubtful, He won't avoid me. I love that about God! I will trust that He is right here with me in the middle of my mess. Will you join me?

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31 Days in Psalm 31. I found myself returning to that Psalm over and over. It brought so much encouragement and I found so many scriptures that were meditation-worthy, I decided it was a good topic. David wrote this psalm while in a cave hiding from Saul. Since much of my caregiving life feels like it's lived in a cave (we talk about the caregiver's cave a lot!), it seemed appropriate. You can get a Kindle or print version in my Amazon bookstore. Or you can download an eBook from my DFM bookstore.