Back to the Light

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,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Psalm 13:1-3

Have you ever felt this way? Can you relate to David's words, to the desperate feelings of despair, pain, and hopelessness? Perhaps you are there now. Perhaps you will be tomorrow. Life is full of the unplanned and unexpected--the good, difficult, and more difficult. It can be hard to understand why things happen, especially if you are striving for and even praying for the opposite.

When things don't go the way we plan, it's easy to believe God has forgotten us and to feel alone. It makes the most sense to our logical minds. It's hard to believe God is near when we feel defeated, overwhelmed, or confused. But it's also during these times when we can depend on Him the most. In Psalm 13, David doesn't only express how he feels, because he knows his feelings can be misleading; He also says what he believes, in spite of his circumstances:

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the LORD

because he is good to me.

Psalm 13:5-6

David is honest about how he feels, and we should be too, but he doesn't stop there. He turns the corner from despair to hope, from the lies to the truth, from unbelief to belief. In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he reminded them of an important truth about God: He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. (Col. 1:13 NIV) Why did he remind them? Because he wanted them to live above their circumstances. He wanted them to remember who they were. We know from Paul's opening words he was writing to those who were faithful and holy followers of Christ. He praised them for their faith and the love they had for others, and he knew they were capable of pleasing Him in every way, having great endurance and patience, and being joyfully thankful for the inheritance of this kingdom of light.

But they, like David, probably didn't always feel that way. I'm sure they felt defeated at times, scared, sinful, discouraged, overwhelmed, disappointed, forgotten; So Paul reminded them of the truth. He reminded them they were forgiven. He reminded them God would strengthen them. He reminded them Jesus holds everything together. He reminded them Christ lived within them. That was their reality. Not shame. Not despair. Not abandonment. But life, love, rescue, peace, and joy.

We pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father.

Colossians 1:11-12
 

Have you experienced God's rescue? His power? The joy only He can bring? Do you believe it's a real thing? Do you believe He is with you, holding everything together--holding you together? Do you believe, like David did, that God is good and you are the object of His affection; His Beloved? Let Him restore the sparkle to your eye. Ask Him to fill your heart with hope, belief, strength, endurance, joy, and thankfulness. He will rescue you from the darkness and bring you back to the light.

He has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

Colossians 1:22-23

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the NLT.
Photos by Cindy Riggs. © 2017. Used by permission. Al rights reserved.