Honest With God: Finding Healing and Wholeness Through the PsalmsНамуна

Marie grew up in South Texas, just a short distance from the ocean. The land was flat for as far as the eye could see. Living in a big city, the tallest visuals were skyscrapers and power lines.

So, when Marie moved to Las Vegas with her husband and started a family, she loved being able to see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range from her backyard. The beauty brought her comfort during the challenges her family faced.

Whether it was the challenges her husband faced in his job, the financial stress of a high-interest mortgage on their home, or her oldest son’s heat sickness that caused him to vomit nearly every day, Marie faced daily pressures. Each morning felt like an invitation to obsess over the obstacles in front of their family or the opportunities God was providing them to make a difference in their neighbors’ lives. She didn’t decide what the market or her son’s stomach did, but she could choose her focus.

Let me show you how David embodied this attitude. In Psalm 121, he writes, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV)

David begins by looking at the mountains, perhaps feeling overwhelmed by their magnitude, their immovability, and their power to make him feel small and insignificant. Then, he shifts his focus from the created to the Creator, from the problem to the Problem-Solver.

David’s pivot isn't a denial of reality, nor is it merely a matter of positive thinking. He makes a conscious choice about where to direct his attention. Similarly, our focus has a tremendous impact on our emotional state, decision-making, and ability to navigate challenging circumstances.

In Psalm 46, David reinforces this truth: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3 NIV)

“Even if the mountains fall into the sea” is David's version of a worst-case scenario. In that imaginary future, his focus remains on God's unchanging character rather than changing circumstances.

Anxiety often comes from focusing on what might happen instead of the One who is present with us right now and who promises never to leave nor forsake us.

Just as Marie would walk through her neighborhood with her young boys, gazing at the beautiful snow-capped peaks, we can look to the mountains around us. We can remember that higher than the mountains is the power of our God. His power is available to us, and He is our refuge when we feel overwhelmed and afraid.

What we allow to consume our thoughts makes a real and tangible difference. In tomorrow’s reading, we’ll look at the connection between our thought life and our worship habits.