Daily PresenceSample

Psalm 62—You O God are strong, and You are loving (11-12). That simple stanza contains the truth we need for the moment we are in, no matter what that moment is. I know it doesn’t feel that way sometimes. Honestly, I don’t feel that way right now in my life, either. I have been feeling the doubts, the hurts, the loss. I am feeling the enemies, both real and imagined, at the gates. Their tongues hurt me. Their actions hurt me. I wonder if I am to blame. Did I create this? Did my own sin bring me here? Have I not believed enough? Even as I write this, more and more questions and feelings cascade down upon me. Yet—through all of these questions it occurs to me that I am focused on me and my situation instead of the simple truth we started with…. You O God are strong, and You are loving. If He is strong, there is no situation He cannot control. You may be innocent of your circumstances or you may be completely to blame. Yet He is strong. You may find yourself feeling utterly crushed or delivered in the final moments. Yet He is strong. If He is loving, then no matter what I have done or not done—He is loving. I have had terrible thoughts, made terrible decisions, and yet He is loving. I have tried to be kind and forgive my enemies. Yet He is loving. I know that in my life, I can easily focus on the things that impact me. I can focus on all the things done to me and just like JOB, there are times we truly are innocent and have done nothing wrong. Somehow, though, I have to get to the place where I realize that it doesn’t matter. Just as my own righteousness is a filthy rag before God, my sin is nothing compared to His Grace. Why? You O God are strong, and You are loving. Our loving God is strong enough for anything and loving enough for everything. We have to remind ourselves of that and let Him remind us of it when we are in these places where we don’t see it, don’t feel it, and don’t believe it because of what we are facing.