17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. 18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. 19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? 22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. 24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? 25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. 26 Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.

Some of the strongest words written for our encouragement today are found in the eighth chapter of Romans. We are told that no created thing can separate us from the love of God. We are assured that we overwhelmingly conquer thru Jesus who loves us and died for us. In the midst of these verses we find verse 22nd of this psalm quoted.

When we feel that we are giving God our all and have our lives tuned to his will but still things are going badly, we begin to despair and want to give up. It is in the darkest trials that we can see the light of God the brightest. It is in the worst storms of life that we can truly learn the peace that he has to offer. It is when we are hated and mistreated that we can know his love in our hearts and understand how one could die for the sins we have committed.

Consider what God has invested in us. He has given his beloved Son to give up the glories of heaven, live as one of us and then die for the things we have done wrong. He did this because he loves us; loves us even while we were his enemies and opposed to him. Paul explains (back to Rom. 8) that since God has done so much for us, how will he not now freely give us all things. Anything else he gives or does for us is small indeed in comparison to what he has done already. So why would we doubt him? Why do we not trust him? Jesus has been raised for our justification and is now at the right hand of God, interceding on our behalf. We can trust him in all things.

O Lord, God of heaven and earth, I thank you for your wisdom and for your willingness to plan a way for my sinfulness to be forgiven. It is with deep humility but great joy that I confess Jesus as my savior, as my Lord, and as my master but also as my brother who gave himself in my place. I praise you that he in your presence to intercede on my behalf. I thank you that he gives me your Spirit to lead me to be more like you. I pray in his name.

May God bless each of us as we trust him more and live for him.