Ready:
“I will bless the LORD who counsels me —even at night when my thoughts trouble me. I always let the LORD guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” —Psalm 16:7-8
Set:
Many athletes and coaches struggle with sleeping. Whether it be a chemical issue, a busy and thoughtful mind or a spiritual warfare type of suffering. Sleep issues account for some long and rough nights for a group of people who already lack adequate rest. For me, I struggle with not being able to turn off my brain, to having night terrors that cause me to wake up in a panic. So that calls for some late nights of looking at the ceiling and praying. When we are faced with situations that are not ideal and not what we would choose for ourselves, we have a choice. Will we remain loyal regardless or will we abandon ship?
For David, he knew where his loyalty lie, and he knew where it would remain. As Christians, we can see a template statement in David’s psalm: “I will _____ even though________ because He ________ .”
For David, he would bless the LORD even though his thoughts troubled him at night because God was at his right hand. David knew God never promised us a life without trouble; he accepted his portion of suffering whenever it came. That’s not to say he didn’t struggle in processing it. The Psalms are full of his thoughts, feelings, complaints and pleas to God about his suffering, but with every psalm came a quiet acceptance and trust.
While God didn’t promise us a life without trouble, He did promise to be with us in the trouble. Each one of us have our own situations and struggles we could fill in the template statement with, but no matter how bad the situation, we can say just what David said: “Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Go:
Fill in his template for yourself: “I will ___________ even though _________ because He _________.
How does knowing that God stands right beside you change how you view this situation or struggle?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the promises of Your Word and how they comfort me in times of trouble. I praise you for Your counsel; thank You for never leaving or forsaking me. I pray for conviction with this verse, that your Holy Spirit would call it to remembrance when the nights are long and dark, and I feel like I’m being shaken. Thank You for Your presence. Amen.”