I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
Psalm 16: 8–9 NKJV
It felt like I was falling in slow motion, and the fear of messing up my hardware consumed me. I skidded on the asphalt and ripped my jeans. How could a beautiful November morning walk with Iva change so quickly?
I sat up, then I realized I didn’t know how to stand up without something to push off of, and I wasn’t going to use Iva for that purpose.
No one was outside in our quiet neighborhood, so I called my husband. No answer. Next, I called my neighbor, “I fell while walking, and I’m on Linden.”
“Oh, honey, we’re on vacation. Can you call the rescue squad?”
“Okay. Bye.”
I had no intention of calling 911 to tell them I’d fallen, and I couldn’t get up. I didn’t know what damage I had done to my back, if any. I tried reaching my husband again, and as I talked to him, a police car pulled up. My neighbor had made the call for me.
Someone helped me up, and I experienced no back pain, just a bloody knee. My doctor prescribed another round of physical therapy for balance and strengthening exercises, and that’s where I learned how to stand up after a fall.
A deeper problem remained that physical therapy could not address. Discouragement left me emotionally down, and I lacked the strength to pull myself up and out of the darkness I was living in.
Jesus is the light of the world, and He doesn’t want us living in darkness, not just the darkness of sin, but the darkness that accompanies emotional trauma. Our bodies cry out for relief and healing. When it doesn’t come, we feel dejected. We allow our feelings to rule our thoughts.
How do we find the strength to pull ourselves up when we are down? In our focal verse, the psalmist says he has set the Lord always before him. I struggled to keep my eyes on Jesus while despondency wrapped its tentacles around me. The answer to my prayers was “No” and “Wait.”
In our deepest anguish, we must keep Jesus at the center of our thoughts. Never give up! Notice the psalmist says always, not just when life is great, but all the time, and especially in the tough times.
When we put our eyes on Jesus, our flesh will rest in hope, as opposed to resting in the darkness of anxiety. That isn’t the true rest we need. Hope will fill our souls, and it will reach our flesh. We begin by believing we have hope, because we do, no matter how hopeless we feel. We choose to hold onto hope, and it will go beyond our spirit and soul, touching our flesh. Hope is the lifeline that pulls us out of discouragement. As we focus on God and hold onto hope, we will find joy.
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 NKJV). Joy is present in God’s presence. We rob ourselves of so much when we settle for curling up in despair. Spending time with our Heavenly Father, who loves us and wants to help us, gives us joy. Joy isn’t about our circumstances. It’s about God’s presence in those dark days.
Sweet friend, will you reach out to God’s lifeline of hope? Hope isn’t about getting our prayers answered favorably. Hope is knowing God is in control, and His mercy and grace will bring us out of the darkness into His marvelous light. Don’t allow your feelings or the pain to steal your hope. It is a gift from the Father.
Can you lean into Jesus and allow His light to shine on you today? Pain and illness are hard, but we have the power of God on our side. Let your Heavenly Daddy pick you up today.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
1 Chronicles 16:11 NKJV
Lord Jesus, I’ve allowed life to bring me down. Bring me out of this darkness and fill me with hope and joy. Let me always put You before me. In Your name I pray. Amen.
*This Devotion appears in my book, Embers of Endurance: Rising Above Chronic Pain and Illness.