Honest With God: Finding Healing and Wholeness Through the PsalmsНамуна

Our family went through a wilderness season over a decade ago during my wife’s pregnancy with our twins.

When my wife and I nearly lost our twins halfway through her pregnancy, I was powerless to do anything except sit, wait, and pray. I couldn't perform the surgery that ended up saving her pregnancy. I couldn't swap places with my wife and take this incredible burden from her. In one of the most challenging and intense wilderness seasons of my life, I was confronted with the harsh reality that I was not in control. I didn't have enough power to get through this wilderness, but God did.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I want to encourage you today. Like me, waiting to hear the results of my wife's surgery, you may be struggling because you do not have enough power to face the challenge in front of you. You’re right. You don’t have the power to do this. Following Jesus, after all, includes embracing God’s power and our weakness.

King David understood this tension between divine purpose and human limitations. In Psalm 37, he offers wisdom that cuts through the anxiety of trying to figure everything out: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:3-4 NIV)

David isn't promising that life will be easy or that our circumstances will always align perfectly with our calling. He's saying that when we trust God and commit to doing good, we can find security even in uncertain circumstances.

The phrase "commit your way to the Lord" in verse 5 literally means "roll your way upon the Lord" – like rolling a heavy burden off your shoulders onto someone strong enough to carry it. "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous plans succeed and your justice shine like the dawn." (Psalm 37:5-6 NIV)

David knew something I was learning: purpose isn't about having perfect circumstances. It's about trusting God with imperfect ones.

Later, in Psalm 90, Moses prays, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12 NIV) Life is short, and we can't afford to wait until everything is perfect to pursue what God has called us to do.

Sometimes the most purposeful thing you can do is take the next step, even when you can't see the entire staircase. Taking that step is not something you’ll be able to do alone, which is why I’m sharing tomorrow about the kind of support you’ll need to pursue your God-given purpose.