This week’s Song To Live By is Psalm 28

Lara writes:

Who or what do you turn to in times of need? The likelihood is you call the person you think is most qualified to help you. If there's a fire, you're likely to call for the fire brigade. If your car is broken down, you might call the AA. If you've locked yourself out of your house, you might call a family member or ask your neighbour if you can jump over the fence and climb into the house through a back window (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything). But for David, he knew that the very best person to turn to for help in tough times was the Lord, the one who dwells in the most holy place.

David cries out to his merciful saviour, this huge powerful God who is mindful of us and who we can cry out to. Isn't that amazing? But David also acknowledges this reality that sometimes it can feel as if God is turning a deaf ear to us. In those times, I know I can grow weary and there's a temptation to turn to unhealthy habits or things or people to survive or get by. But in this psalm, David demonstrates to us that we can bring even those frustrations to God in prayer. This isn't a reason to stop crying out to God for help because as David says in verse seven, his heart trusts in God.

This God that we serve is trustworthy. He's got a track record of being faithful. And so things might not always look like what we expect or even be in our timing, but we can trust Him. And, like David, remind ourselves of God's character to strengthen us and praise him in tough times. David describes the Lord as his rock in verse one, as his strength and shield in verse seven, and as a fortress of salvation in verse eight.

When my wonderful youth intern looked at this passage, one of the things that stood out to her was David's final prayer asking God to be a shepherd in verse nine and carry them forever. Not only does this description of God touch on his leadership and how He guides his people, but it also draws on the reality that there are times that the sheep are injured or weary and do need help like we do. God our good shepherd doesn't leave his sheep to the lions and the tigers and the bears in our weakness to be devoured, instead, our loving leader carries his sheep to safety.

There is no one better to turn to for help. So let's call on God today.

A Prayer

Lord, we acknowledge that you are our helper. You are a rock who is firm and faithful. You are our strength and shield, the one who empowers us and protects us each day. You are our fortress of salvation, the one who saves us and who fights our battles. We acknowledge you today as the one true God and our precious king.

So Lord, we bring our struggles to you today, both big and small and ask that you would have mercy on us and help us through them. Sorry for where we've trusted in other things to sustain us and we shamelessly cry out to you our God and ask that you would make your presence known in our situations and that you would be glorified through our lives.

Thank you Jesus. We love you.

Amen.