On the Precipice

"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?"

Psalm 13:1-2 NLT

Ever feel like falling into despair?  David did as his enemies relentlessly pursued him.  I often do as I live life in an evil world with an Enemy bent on my destruction.  

It often feels like God is far away, as if He doesn't care.  But I know better.  Will I trust in my feelings, or do as David did and trust in what I know to be true (Psalm 13:5-6)?

Steadfast Love.  I am human.  As such, I am intimately familiar with failure.  I make promises, truly desiring to follow through but ultimately unable to foresee the obstacles which make keeping those pledges impossible.  I let those I love down despite my best intentions.

It's easy to transfer this inconsistent, inferior and counterfeit brand of love with which I am so familiar to God, assuming He will love in the same way as man.  Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.  God's love never fails, never gives up, never runs out (Psalm 6:4, 1 Corinthians 13:7, Psalm 107:1)

What does this mean for me?  There is nothing I can do that will make God stop loving me, contrary to what I've learned from people.  I expect to lose a little in the eyes of family and friends when I hurt them, fall off the wagon, or fail to do what needs to be done.  God is not like a human, however.  His love cannot be lost (Romans 8:38-39).

It also means there is nowhere I can go that is away from His love (Psalm 139:7-12)  His love knows no boundaries.  There is no line I can cross where God will say, "That's it!  I've had it with you!"  His love drives Him to seek me out no matter how lost I am (Luke 15:3-7).

Furthermore, I can't come to the end of His love, using up my allotment or fair share.  His love overflows like an eternal spring, never running dry (1 Timothy 1:14).

I can trust God when I feel like giving up because His love never does.

Salvation.  Who do I call when I need help?  I guess it depends.  When my car breaks down, I call the mechanic.  When the toilet is backing up, the plumber comes to the rescue.  When I develop health concerns, I visit the doctor.  There are many sources to which I turn for help.

There is only One, however, who can truly save me.  While I can go to a counselor and receive medications and good therapy to help when I am depressed, I can trust God to pull me up out of the pit of despair and set my feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:1-3).

When I feel like my life has no meaning, I can busy myself with beneficial activities, well-meaning programs, and benevolent events, trying desperately to save myself from the mundane and insignificant.  Still, something is missing until I discover the rich and abundant life I have in Christ (John 10:10b).

There are significant strides being made in medical treatments that have worked to lengthen lives tremendously.  While modern medicine can work wonders, there is only one Physician who is truly equipped to bring complete healing.  

I can joyfully trust God when I feel like giving up because He is in the business of saving.

Bounty.  More than enough.  Overflowing.  Beyond my wildest imagination.  These are a few phrases to describe God's generous Spirit.  He doesn't just give what I need, but He tends to offer in abundance (Ephesians 3:20).

When I was growing up, I vividly remember the times my dad would pull out the blender.  As I sat at the kitchen table finishing my dinner and watching him work, I knew this appliance meant one thing:  Milkshakes!  I would get so excited as I saw him walk to the freezer and pull out the container of ice cream, scooping generous heaps into the wonderful device.  Soon, a thick helping of the frosty treat was set before me and I realized my father's love for me.  

Just as there was no special occasion to call for those yummy milkshakes, just a dad's love for his daughter, God is always at work giving me good things (Matthew 7:11, James 1:17).  He delights in showering His goodness down on me.  I may miss the bounty, however, unless I am looking for it.  

I might think the field of daisies is just a natural phenomena instead of realizing it was placed there just so God could bring me joy.  I could think the prime parking spot opened up by happenstance instead of acknowledging that God wanted to bless me with a bit of extravagant convenience.  It would be easy for me to pass off the unexpected discount as a fluke instead of admitting I have a Father who loves to tickle me with an extra bit of spending money.

I can trust God when I feel like giving up because He is a generous God who fills my life with bountiful gifts.

I often find myself on the precipice of despair when I focus on the world around me.  Evil is everywhere and I often feel without hope.  In place of trusting in my feelings, however, I can turn my attention to my God whose love never fails, is in the business of saving me, and who is generous and lavish.  In these ways, I'll step back from the edge of despair and place my feet on solid ground.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my hope in such a God as this.

When do I trust more in my feelings than in what I know to be true?

How am I talking myself into despair because I only have eyes for what is wrong?