There are good days and there are tough days. The good days seem to fly by, and the tough ones...well, seconds seem to be hours, minutes feel like days, and an ending of the misery seems all to welcoming. We have all been in that place a time or two, or six, or...well, you get the point. I love the book of Psalms quite a bit, mainly, because there is such emotion expressed. Joy, sorrow, pain, suffering, anger, regret, repentence, and so forth, are all found in Psalms. When I have a day that is particulary bad, inevitably I will end up taking it out on someone else. It could be harsh words, a scornful look, or a combination of the two, it could manifest itself in various ways...none, I might add are good, or that I am proud of. The crazy part is that in the midst of those feelings, I just really want God to step in and tell me everything is going to be ok...and then after calming down, I realize that all of it, was just a waste of my time, effort, and energy...because He is always there...sometimes, I just need to be still, make my request known, and listen instead of ranting, dwelling, and playing the roll of the little kid throwing a temper tantrum.
Tonight's passage is a great reminder to me for this very reason:
Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. (Psalm 142:6, 7 ESV)
Do you see the difference in the approach? It's not dwelling inward on the wrongs that afflict us, it is instead directed towards the overall purpose of glorifying God, trusting in God, focusing on Him, and bringing Him glory.
In summary, when we are struggling with our life circumstances, the fix is to focus not inward, but upward. When we set our eyes on Christ, seeking His will, and His glory, our perspective shifts, our hearts of stone are softened, and Christ moves in our lives...changing us, teaching us, and making us more like Him.
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