Learning to Trust God in the Psalmsনমুনা

Psalm 143: I, Me, & My

“So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.” Psalm 143:4 NIV

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 NIV

“…may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10b NIV

There are nearly 40 pronouns in the twelve verses of this Psalm. Most of them are “me", "my", and "I.” While David might sound a bit conceited and self-centered, he was not. He was having one of those days. He was in a situation that was taxing, depleting, and required more than he could provide. He turned to the Lord and said, “…may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Two words come to my mind that define this Psalm: desperation and surrender.

Desperation: When we encounter situations that create desperation within us, we are on the edge of making a really good decision or a really bad one. Desperation calls us to react as soon as possible. We will consider every option, every idea, and every possible solution to resolve our problem. The “what ifs” can be exhausting. The angst and anxiety can cause us to say my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. The word dismayed in verse four includes the idea of being confused about what to do. When desperation rises within us, we need to surrender our options to the Lord. The Psalmist did. So should we. Desperate moments need the kind of resolve that only God can provide. The Psalmist knew this. We should remember this.

Surrender: Surrendering to the Lord is unlike surrendering when your enemy has defeated you. You are not marched off to your incarceration or worse. Surrendering to the Lord is surrendering to remembering, meditating, considering, and thirsting (verse five). It involves listening, waiting, watching, and having faith that the Lord will respond (verses seven through ten). It means you choose to be a student of the Lord in the battle you are facing (verse 10). In the middle of your surrender, your heart is positioned to watch for his unfailing love (verse eight). To benefit from His unfailing love, we must let go of being the 1st responder to our situations. David prayed and cried out to the Lord. He paused to encourage his weakening faith by remembering how the Lord proved Himself faithful in times past. He spread out his hands in surrender to the Lord and sought Him.

Then, in verse ten, he prays a powerful prayer.

This verse should be on your refrigerator, on the mirror in your bathroom, in your car, and circled in your Bible.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10 NIV) If you are in a place of desperation, consider praying the words of the Psalmist. Consider these prayers:

Teach me to do your will. Please help me to be a good student in your divine classroom of guidance and counsel. Please help me to listen to and learn from what you say. May your will be done in my life as surely as your will is done in heaven each and every day.

May your good Spirit lead me. I choose you as my Life Leader. Goodness resides within you. I trust the goodness of your heart like no other. In these moments when goodness is in short supply, provide what will be good for me according to your will. Please help me be a good follower of your good Spirit in moments big and small.

Lead me on level ground. Your ways are far more secure and safer than mine. The ground I am currently standing on is treacherous. My hopes, dreams, relationships, health, behaviors, finances, career, and future are at risk. Your ways are righteous and will bring me out of trouble (verse eleven). Mine are troublesome. O Lord, lead me from this rocky ground to level ground.

Friend, the good Spirit of God resides within you. He waits patiently for your safe surrender. In every moment that requires trust, trust in the One who is good and who resides within you. Let the morning bring you word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. (Psalm 143:8). Choose to believe every morning can be the very morning He leads you to level ground.