It is often in the moments of great hardship, that we realize that our hope can only be found in God.
You see many of us, spend much of our lives trying to acquire things and relationships that we believe will give us a since of control or normality.
We construct plans and dreams that give us a since security and a future, and when these things are taken away, it is often in these moments that we experience hardship or even a loss of hope.
But I believe that it is in these moments hardship, those moments when our plans begin to unravel, that we begin to see things as the really are.
Because it is in these moments, that we are reminded that we are ultimately not in control and it is in these moments that we are literally forced to place our hope again in God.
The Psalmist knew this well when he wrote Psalm 130:
“Out of the depths I cry to you O lord. O lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word I put my hope.”
This thought continues on in Psalm 131 where David writes:
“My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things to wonderful for me.”
“But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.”
In these chapters we see that it is often in the moments of hardship, that we are reminded that our hope ultimately lies in God.
I love the picture that David gives in Psalm 131 when he is done wrestling and he quiets his soul.
He likens his soul to a weaned child.
I have two little girls and to me those are some of the most precious moments in life, when I hold them child as the drift off into sleep after a bottle of milk.
There is no greater image of contentment in my life. No greater image of peace.
Take a few moments to read through Psalms 130 and 131 and ponder the following questions.
When was the last time in your life that you were reminded that you were not ultimately in control?
How did you react?
Think about moment in your Life when you had to wait on the Lord like in Psalm 130?
What happened?
Are you still waiting?
When is the last time you quieted your soul?
Describe the experience.