The Psalms: A Roadmap to ResilienceSample

Justice and Resilience

Yesterday, we saw how the ceiling of our capacity to deal with setbacks and screwups is the lies and limiting beliefs we hold about God. We are building on that today, because, as we learn from David, the starting line and the finish line of true resilience is the true character of God. So, let’s keep following this roadmap of the Psalms and discover the characteristics of God that we can build resilience on.

But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:7-10 NLT

The characteristic David is highlighting here is God’s justice. He’s just and fair and doesn’t overlook the oppressed.

Justice and resilience go hand-in-hand because so often the reason we stay stuck in situations or fail to bounce back after a difficulty is because we don’t trust that justice will be served. So we keep living in it. Or reliving it. We go way past debriefing a failure and learning from it and we assign significance to it. In some cases, that event becomes the hinge point that our entire experience with something or someone rests on. Read verses 13-14 by themselves now.

Lord, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me. Psalm 9:13-14 NLT

Now, go back and read 7-10 and 13-14 again. It changes the perspective a little bit. Yes, David is still desperate to be saved. He has a clear vision for where he wants to be, and he’s not there. He even expresses feeling close to death. But with the context of God not overlooking the oppressed or abandoning those who search for Him, David’s request to be seen and snatched out of harm’s way by God takes on a powerful connotation. He’s asking God to do it because he really believes God can do it.

Seems pretty basic, but, when you pray … do you actually, truly, down to the core of your being believe that God can do what you ask? Think about that.

If you’re answering that question with a no, that’s not something to be ashamed of. Your honest doubts can be the doorway to a deeper and more beautiful faith than you thought possible. Tell God and invite Him to reveal His character to you.

If you’re answering that question with a yes, you probably have evidence of God working in someone else’s life or situation in a similar way to how you are asking Him to work in yours. The invitation for you is to dig the well of your faith even deeper, to the point where your faith hits the bedrock of God’s character. Then, the results of the situation aside, you are left standing firm on your deep knowing of who God is. This is where David landed.

The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. (Quiet Interlude) Psalm 9:15-16 NLT

A quiet interlude. David rests in the knowledge that God’s reputation is that He’s just. It’s what He’s known for. So David can 1) appeal to the Lord for His help and intervention in unjust situations and 2) entrust the outcome of those situations to Him instead of forcing his hand or staying stuck in the absence of resolution.

The ability to resolve our emotions and disappointment based on the character of God instead of a change in circumstances is the key to unlocking resilience in our hearts.

Stop and consider: What is the Lord known for by you?