Psalm 22:6-8 (The Message)
A David Psalm
6-8And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm,
something to step on, to squash.
Everyone pokes fun at me;
they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
“Let’s see how God handles this one;
since God likes him so much, let him help him!”
Let's face it we all have bad days. Days where things go wrong. I had one of those yesterday. It feels like the worst day in at least a year. Possibly more than 5. Sometimes it happens because of things we can control - like when we forget something important. Other times we have no control over it at all, like when somebody we love dies. The times when we have control it seem worse, we feel so stupid, so little, like an earthworm. It makes you want to shrink up into a hole and hide-away. Or worse, it makes you want to bury it in addiction to cover it up.
As David writes here, "Let's see how God handles this one." Do we let God handle this one? Do we really have the faith that these bad days are part of his plan. That these bad days are making us stronger? That these bad days are preparing us for something bigger? These days obviously test our faith. We need to take a deep breath and turn it over to God and let him handle them. Especially on those days where we have made a mess of things. I find it's easy to turn things over that were out of my control...however, messes I created or could have prevented are much harder. I tend to dwell on them and beat myself up, well beyond anything that makes sense. I dwell on the situation beyond the the point of making things right, again. So, today I will trust in his plan and will not bury the situation in my addiction.
Dear God, give me perspective I need to understand we are living under your plan. Thank you for your people, who surround me and give me this perspective. Continue to have them surround me that I may have this perspective to be free of my addictions. Give me strength and faith on days where I struggle. Strength and perseverance to get through the trial, without falling back on my addiction, and faith that I will know that you are preparing me for something bigger. For I know that you do not call those who are prepared, rather that you prepare those who are called. And these trials are preparing me for to be in service to you and your people. For that I am ready to be prepared. Lastly, I want to pray for the addicts that still suffer. Give them this same perspective, strength and faith, which I pray for, that they may come to you and live free from their addiction before they are overcome by their addiction. All this I pray in your name. Amen.
