“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/psa.13.5-6.esv

In this psalm, David has voiced several questions. No doubt, he was in a dark place. Yet by the end of the psalm he has found a renewed strength. What does he encourage us to do when life hits hard?

1) Keep trusting in the steadfast love of the Lord.

When things start to go awry we tend to jump to the wrong conclusions. It’s easy to feel like God has abandoned us or that He is angry. David reminds himself that what is happening isn’t because God is uncaring or unloving. Even on our worst days, God still loves us and is drawing near. At times we have to move from looking at our circumstances and simply look to Him. He still loves us and we must remember that regardless of what may be happening around us God is still loving and consistent.

2) Keep rejoicing in our salvation.

Ultimately we have been saved from eternal death. That should excite our souls! However when times on earth get dark, we can forget all Christ has already done for us through the cross. We now have access to God because of our salvation. We now have an Advocate, a High Priest making intercession for us. We can look to Him and ask Him for help and guidance. Our salvation comes from the Lord. Even though we may not see an immediate change in our circumstances there has been a significant change in us because of Christ. We handle things differently now which can only be seen in and through trials. We celebrate the salvation of our souls with rejoicing because our souls will outlast our circumstances.

3) Keep singing of His goodness

In hardship, there will often come a song that will mean much. This melody will become an anthem that carries us through. David recounted all the Lord had done for him through songs. This is one of the reasons we have Psalms. When we remove ourselves for a moment from the surrounding circumstances we can more easily see how good God has been.

The Lord may not remove the circumstance but He will bless you through it and in it. Keep singing and trusting and knowing you are loved.

How have your circumstances gotten you down?

Have you felt abandoned or unloved lately?

Take some time today and sit in silence. Let the Lord pour out His love on you.

Step back from your circumstances and see how God has been blessing you while in your circumstances.

Choose a song that fits your season and cling to it.

Make a list of all the good you see around you and begin to thank God for it.

Write your own version of Psalm 13.