Voice Your Trust
After pouring out his heart to God, and sharing his complaints and his needs, David continues in Psalm 64 by voicing his trust! He says "Surely the human mind and heart are cunning. But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done."
He voices his needs, and then says "God will handle this. He will do what is right. I can trust in Him."
This reminds me of what William Culbertson said: "Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!"
How many of us stop praying because we have stopped trusting? We think that prayer is pointless and that God is disinterested, or has His own agenda, or whatever. We stop praying and just leave things be.
God is saying trust Me! I know things are not the way you want them to be, but trust Me, I am going to bring good out of this!
Faith Rests in God
Let me share some deep words from Randall Denny, who was the editor of the Preacher's Magazine for many years. Just listen to this:
Our God can deliver if He chooses, "but if not" we will remain faithful. God works out His purposes in ways He chooses, not in the way we would choose.
What happens to us when our prayers seem unanswered? Can we trust God's wisdom? So often we barter with our prayers: "If the Lord does this, then I'll serve Him." We get so used to telling God what to do that we find it difficult to trust Him to use His wisdom.
I looked into the newly made grave at a pink and white casket. That baby only lived six weeks. The cause of death was unknown. My eyes focused on the young couple. Tragedy had ripped their hearts. Hopes and dreams lay shattered. What could I, a student pastor, say? My only answer sounded trite: "Trust God in spite of it!" I had to trust God's wisdom. "But if not - !"
Now, 39 years later, with the recent loss of our unborn twin grandsons, I still say, "Trust God in spite of it." I still believe in God's wisdom. I've discovered we aren't free until we can say, "'But if not...' Even if You don't deliver me, Lord, I will trust You!"
Our faith does not rest in deliverance but in God! By trusting God's wisdom, I have learned from personal experience that, out of our greatest hurts, God can bring our greatest ministry.
Keep Praying
That's deep. "Our faith does not rest in deliverance but in God!" So even if He doesn't do what we want... we trust Him. That's faith. That's faith that will sustain you through anything.
Keep praying. Keep connecting with God. Because in the end, it is not what God does that makes Him worth loving. It is who He is that makes Him worth loving.
Even when prayers seem unanswered, our faith rests not in God's deliverance but in God Himself. Choose today to trust God's wisdom over your circumstances, knowing He can bring ministry from your deepest hurts.