“Be strong and confident,
all you who wait on the Lord.”
–Psalm 31:24
Do you have a telephone voice? Maybe you talk differently to different people, depending on who it is or where you are.
When I lived in London, the people I lived with knew when I was talking to someone back home in Northern Ireland because my accent became stronger. They said sometimes they couldn’t even understand me!
We show different parts of ourselves to different people. Social media highlights this.
Do you follow any famous people on social media? Some are very open about their family and their day to day lives. We can really feel like we know them. We definitely know a lot about them! Or I should say we know a lot about the bits of them that they want to show us. It can make us almost feel like if we were to meet we’d become friends!
But sometimes the reality of meeting someone famous can be very different from the persona they have on social media or on TV.
With God, this is not the case. He is always consistent. Always the same. Yet there is always more for us to learn about Him! We can know Him, because He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Even better still, He knows us – all of us, even the bits we hide from everyone else. Yet He still loves us and has adopted us as His children.
As I read the Bible I like to write out the characteristics of God as I come across them. In this Psalm, David describes a lot of aspects of God’s character.
David tells us that our God:
- Provides shelter
- Rescues
- Delivers
- Protects
- Provides refuge and safety
- Is a stronghold
- Leads and guides us
- Is faithful
- Enables us to stand against our enemy
- Shows mercy
- Determines our destiny
- Smiles on us
- Shows us favor
- Deserves praise
- Hears us
- Judges
How can we be strong and confident in this world? There are so many challenges and temptations, and we may have pain and suffering. Yet it is also possible for our faith to grow as we endure, and even have hope, despite the evil in this world or our difficult circumstances.
We are able to be strong and confident because we know who our God is. We can know that, no matter what our circumstances are, God does not change. He remains our loving, heavenly Father, full of grace, mercy, and goodness.
He sees and hears us.
David was not having an easy time. He wrote about a lot of pain and suffering he was going through. Life as a Christian doesn’t always go the way we want it to. Our prayers can be met with a ‘no’ from God.
Can we still trust God, even in the pains, struggles, and disappointments of life? Yes, we can. We know God can be trusted. He will hold us. He is our stronghold, our place of refuge, He causes our feet to be able to stand.
As you read your Bible this week, write down the aspects of God’s character you see in the readings. Be reminded of who He is. It will help us trust our unchanging God, despite our ever-changing circumstances.
I try to remind myself of some truths about God from the Bible when I’m tempted not to trust Him. The benefit of memorizing parts of the Bible (I wish I had more of it in my mind) is that the Holy Spirit can gently bring the verses hidden in our hearts to our minds to encourage and strengthen us right where we are.
Maybe you aren’t feeling very strong in the Lord at the moment. Each of us has seasons like this. You might be struggling with suffering or disappointment. I encourage you to take it to the Lord. He sees you and hears you. He knows you. His plans and purposes will not be thwarted.
Take refuge in Him. Allow Him to lead and guide you. Trust Him. Take comfort in who He is; know His great love for you.
He smiles over you, His child, bought at such a cost.
Sin means this world isn’t as it was designed to be. Neither are we. This world won’t be fully restored until Christ returns. We will be made perfect when He comes.
As we wait, we can trust God. We can grow in our faith relying on the Lord as we wait for that glorious day. The Lord will do what He has said He will.
We can rest in Him and trust our lives in His loving care.
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
