Listen

God, have mercy on me because I’m being trampled. All day long the enemy oppresses me. My attackers trample me all day long because I have so many enemies. Exalted one, whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you— in God, whose word I praise. I trust in God; I won’t be afraid. What can mere flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:1-4

Think

Sometimes, when we are especially stressed and dealing with problems from many sides, we feel like we are stuck in a corner with no way out. In the beginning of this psalm, the psalmist David is being chased and attacked by his real-life enemies, and he is weary. We may not have enemies actively chasing us, but there are people and circumstances in our lives that cause us to feel weary and maybe even hopeless.

Yet, as David cries out to God in response to his weariness, he recognizes an everlasting truth about God. When we put our trust in the almighty God who created and reigns over the entire universe and everything inside it, we can begin to see our fear lose its power. Trusting in God does not mean that we won’t ever be afraid, but it does mean that our fears become much less when we compare them to the power of our God who loves us endlessly.

Jonathan Hall

Pray

God, please help me to trust in you when I feel like enemies are surrounding me from every side. Remind me that your love and power are with me always, and because of that, I don’t have to be afraid. Thank you for being with me, now and forever. Amen.

Go

May God give you Grace never to sell yourself short!

Grace to risk something big for something good!

Grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but Love!

from “The Dismissal Blessing” by William Sloane Coffin