Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? 3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

For too many people, their god is only a god of circumstance. When things are going good they can trust their god but if the opposite is happening to them they have no faith at all. For them the reality of a loving God is dependent on the report from the doctor or the absence of an accident or the success of a business deal or something else in their lives.

The Psalmist is consistent in his praise for God and in his trust in God. It does not matter if his life has tumbled in all around him or if he is on top of the world, he gives honor to God. He had enough wisdom and faith to know that there will be good times and bad times. He understood that serving God meant that there would be those who opposed him and would even be his enemies. He accepted the fact that there are ups and downs in life that all must face. He recognized the justice of God and knew that there would be discipline and correction in his life. On one such occasion God gave him a choice of being punished by plague or by his enemies. He chose the plague because he knew God would measure and limit his punishment but did not know what his enemies might do to him. Even then he recognized the goodness of God and praised him for doing what was right.

In our lives today we will face things that we define as good or as bad. There will be some very difficult trials we must face. We can choose to falsely accuse God or like Job and the Psalmist, we can hold on to our integrity and trust the God of the universe and know that all things will be taken care of. We can allow God to use these trials to make us stronger. We can allow him to use the things we face and the comfort he gives to hold up the hands of our fellows and share his comfort with them in their trials as well.

O God, please help me when I don’t understand why life is like it is. When things are unfair or difficult or even seem hopeless, help me to trust you and know that you will use all things for my good. Let me use these things to make be more like you in every way. Please forgive any bitterness in my heart and replace it with love, kindness and forgiveness. In Jesus name.

May God bless each of us as we trust him and praise him today.