Finding Hope in Psalms for Living With Chronic Pain and IllnessSample

## Unshakeable Faith > I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. —Psalm 13:5 You were created to achieve great things! Even before you were born, God had plans for you. Sadly, the enemy has plans for you, too, but his are very different. He wants to keep you stuck where you are, and he has many ways of doing that. Perhaps the number one way is to try and destroy your faith. He also loves to make you doubt yourself and your God-given abilities. He does not want you to succeed. Odds are good that on the days when your pain is at an all-time high, it may feel like the enemy has the upper hand and is winning. You may believe your prayers are going unheard. That’s not the case, so don’t let the enemy mislead you. David wrote Psalm 13:5. He went through many trials, and he likely felt that God wasn’t always listening to him. On occasion, he may have felt abandoned. In fact, that’s how this psalm begins: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul?” (Psalm 13:1-2). Yet in verse five, David is glorifying the Lord. He knew the truth: God was still with him, and God would fulfill His promises. David chose to focus on God instead of his temporary setbacks and struggles. Life’s circumstances may seem unexpected or designed to rattle you. But nothing is a surprise to God. He is unshakeable. And as a Christ-follower, you can tap into the power of unshakeable faith. That faith can overcome whatever the enemy may try to throw at you, including fear, anxiety, pain, failure, or hopelessness. Unshakeable faith is activated through prayer. What the enemy uses to tear us down, God uses to build us up and grow our faith. So when life’s challenges feel like insurmountable mountains, turn to God. Trust that He is always at work and will never leave your side. Lord, I will not let the enemy win today because my trust and faith are grounded in You. Amen.