Fessing Up

Pray - God is Listening 24:7Okay, it’s time to fess up. Those words, fess up, make me picture a little kid who has just polished off the cookies in the cookie jar. When his mom asks, “Honey, did you eat the cookies?” his eyes get huge and he shakes his head “no” while a few crumbs fling off his face. He needs to fess up!

And so do I. Instead of trying to hide, I’m going to be very honest and admit something here: when circumstances seem dreadful and impossible, often the last place I run is to the Lord.

Whew! There, I said it! While I know in my head that my ways are not going to work, my heart takes over and I try to fix or fight or fumble my way through. As if history can be changed and life can be managed without Jesus. I know that it can’t, but so often I forget when push comes to shove.

I ran across this verse in Psalm 57 the other day: “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (57:1 NIV). It is an individual lament passage, meaning the writer (David) is expressing personal heartache during a time of grave adversity. Psalms 56 and 57 were written by David when King Saul was preying upon him. David was running for his life, pleading with God while hiding in the dusty caves of either Adullam (I Samuel 22:1) or En Gedi (I Samuel 24:1). Did you hear that? David was not having a little squabble with someone, being pressed to pay a few extra bills, or feeling overly exhausted with a crying child. He was being hunted . . . a haunting, horrifying existence.

Something so significant rests in David’s words. In the midst of his unbearable circumstances, he was filled with thanksgiving. How? Because he focused on the One who provided the refuge instead of focusing on the problems. Who provided David’s refuge? God Almighty, sovereign and savior of all things. Since He created all things, He controls all things. That knowledge brought David peace, leading to the following sentiment coming from his aching lungs. “My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. . . . I will awaken the dawn” (Psalm 57:7–8). I picture David being surrounded by an echoing anthem of praise for the relief provided by unfaltering trust.

Maybe it’s time for you to fess up too. Have you been running, expending all your energy trying to fix something that’s unfixable or carry a burden that’s unmanageable? Listen to these words . . . let go . . . find rest in the shelter of His arms, the feathered breast of His mighty wings. He is your protector—not laws or lawyers . . . no, it is God who will bring you to safety. What peace we find in God’s protection!