From the Throes to the Throne

February 27

We have a tendency to lapse into ‘pity-party mode’ at great—or slight—provocation. Why? Perhaps part of the reason is that we dread the unknown and part of the reason is that we base our expectation of the future on the worst aspects of our past.

We tend to define ourselves by the worst that’s happened to us and to base our expectations for the future upon the least-optimistic eventuality we can contemplate. We have constructed an emotional/mental ‘prison’ for ourselves and in it we are known by the worst thing we’ve ever done.

We are like David in this regard who, when pursued by an irrational enemy, acknowledged feelings quite comparable to ours. In Psalm 42:5 he said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me...” We, too, are cast down and disquieted in the inner man. What recourse do we have? The same solution that David identified is available to us.

He goes on to say in this verse, “…Hope in God, for I will yet praise the One who is my Savior and my God.” When we are unable to find any avenue of escape from our tenuous circumstances, we must, look from the throes of despair to the Throne of our God and Savior as did David. We too shall find the Lord to be our escape, our hope!