Learning to Trust God in the Psalmsనమూనా

Psalm 143: Surrender—Hands Up

“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 lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you.”

Psalm 143:8–9 (NIV84)

David the Psalmist had come to an exceedingly difficult place in life. He was weary. His Psalm is full of emotion and intensity. He needed a miracle and needed it sooner rather than later. He pleads for an answer from the Lord. These are the times of uncertainty. When driven by uncertainty, the human soul enters into a dangerous state of grasping every possible solution as a viable one. Days of uncertainty are long days that challenge one’s faith. They pressure the soul to make decisions, take action, and do whatever must be done to relieve the situation. The pitfall is that the most immediate option is not always the best option. Have you known days like these?

In these seasons of life, the human mind weighs its options, considers the possibilities, and engages all of the “what ifs.” Such activity can be exhausting and nearly impossible to stop. Often, we find ourselves going “in circles” mentally and emotionally as we attempt to find our way through the fog of our circumstances. As a pet hamster runs furiously in the wheel only to run in circles, the human mind spins and spins, attempting to resolve the problems.

The enemy of the Psalmist was pursuing him to crush him (verse three). The pursuit had been relentless. The problem would not go away. He was near the end of his rope (verse four). Can you relate? Are you there now? Thankfully, this Psalm provides us with an example of how to navigate the challenges that threaten to crush us.

The pronouns I, me, and my are prevalent throughout this Psalm. In fact, there are over 30 instances of I, me, and my. However, the Psalmist does not use these pronouns pridefully. He humbly surrenders to the reality that he cannot resolve his problem. He is admitting, confessing, and acknowledging his need for the Lord’s sovereignty. He has recognized that the solution to his situation is beyond him. He does not have the strength or the resources to save himself. He is surrendering himself and his future to the Lord.

In verse six, he says, “I spread out my hands to you…” In verse eight, he says, “…for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

This is what surrendered faith looks like in the middle of a mess. Hands out, and the soul lifted up. With a sincere heart, he declares his limited abilities to his limitless Lord. His waiting and seeking have a grander focus. To most folks, waiting is a waste of time. Not true of the one waiting to be instructed by the Lord. He is waiting for the Lord to “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (verse ten).

Surrendering to the Lord is surrendering to the One whose love is unfailing (verse twelve), whose power is without measure. Whose understanding and knowledge are without limitation. He sees the paths we cannot see. He knows what we do not know. To be a beneficiary of such a blessing, we must let go of our feeble efforts to control our situation and pray “...in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief” (verse one). We must pause and listen. When the voices of uncertainty within us raise their voices, we must command them to be quiet to hear our God's gentle whispering voice (1 Kings 19:12). We must learn to lift our soul to the Lord as we lift our hands in surrender to Him.

Author and speaker Beth Moore said, “Anyone with the maturity to surrender entirely to God is mature enough for God to use.” Amen, Beth. Surrendering your path forward to the Lord in days of uncertainty and trouble is not a sign of weakness. It is not a position of defeat. It is totally the opposite. It is a faith-building process that provides you with a front-row seat to the miraculous power of God. It is the safest surrender you will ever surrender. It is the most powerful surrender you will ever experience. Sometimes, the miracle of surrendering to the Lord is what He does in us; sometimes, it is what He does for us.

If you are in need of relief (verse one) from the adversity you are facing, lift your soul and hands to the heavens, humbly acknowledge your lack and His sovereignty, and plead your case to Him. If you struggle to find the words to pray, pray the words of the Psalmist. Pray, “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 life up my soul”. Then trust Him to do what only He can do. Should the morning arrive, and His word of unfailing love has not arrived, then pray again, for after tonight, there will be another morning.

Conclusion: Today, you will complete the plan, Learning to Trust God in the Psalms, written by Pastor Berry Johnston of Discovery Church. We hope this plan has been a blessing to you. For more from this series, please check out our other plans. If you would like to share your thoughts with us on this plan, you can contact us at info@discoverychurch.org. May God richly bless you as you trust in Him!