Fickle Psalmists

Eli walking beside his Uncle Chris's wheelchair

 There's no doubt that I love the Psalms. Since I became a caregiver, they have become even more special to me. Maybe that is because I found myself in them and also found a license to tell God how I really feel about stuff. Reading the heart cries of the psalmists helped me see that I can tell God about my heartbreak and heavy sighs - and He gets it.

This morning, I found myself in Psalm 108. It starts out with David expressing his confidence in God and singing praises to Him for all He has done. In verse 6, David prays that God will "use His right hand" to save him. But then in verse 10, his tone seems to change a bit. David starts asking who is going to bring victory. Verse 11 sinks even a little deeper as the sweet psalmist of Israel asks, have you rejected us, God? That may seem a bit fickle to some.

One minute David is singing the praises of His victorious God. The very next second, he is wondering where God is. If we are honest, we have days like that too. At least I do. One minute I'm praising God and declaring that He is good all the time, even if bad things are going on around me. The next minute, I'm trying to figure out when He abandoned me and why He did it so quickly and quietly. I laugh - but the emotions are real.

Even if we or the writers of the psalms seem fickle at times, God doesn't seem to notice. He never tells them to be quiet or stop whining. He just steps into their situations with mercy and grace. How do I know that? Because He is just like that and does it for me all.the.time.

God isn't afraid of our fickle, all-over-the-place emotions. In fact, He understands them. He gets us. And He remains faithful for those moments we are elated because we know He acted on our behalf and in the moments when we wonder where He went. I love that about God. He's so faithful - even when we are fickle.

Today, I will remind myself of how faithful God has been on this caregiving journey. I'll be especially thankful for those times that I have truly bared it all and shook my fist wondering where He is and why He is so silent - because He didn't leave me during my fickleness, either. I'm so thankful that He gets my crazy emotions and they don't scare Him away. I'll remember how He's walked with me every step of this journey and shared His strength, peace, mercy, grace, and love with me all along the way. I'm not excluded because I'm fickle - in fact, I'm included and chosen to be with Him in spite of the journey. I believe I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?


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Cover of Peace Out


Grab a copy of Peace Out! It's a fun, engaging devotional that encourages us all to just peace out and trust God in the middle of the mess. In the middle of the struggle. In the middle of the storm. It's only available on Amazon for Kindle or in print. 


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