How Long?
How long will we need to practice endurance?
Verse of the Day
‘How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?’
Today’s Devotional
Let’s look at all of Psalm 4, reading it with the purpose of how it can help us have endurance.
‘Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?
You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord .
Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord .
You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord , will keep me safe.’
When I first read, this it seems a bit chaotic. Who is David talking to? God? Himself? His accusers? The answer is “yes”, he is directing his words in several different places. This makes me feel better when I think of my own journal. It can be chaotic sometimes. But in the middle of the chaos, it is real, and a real indication of my human condition.
In many psalms, we read about David’s physical safety being threatened. In Psalm 4, David is crying out to God about his reputation. Have you ever had your reputation slandered? If so, did you immediately take this grievance to the Lord?
There is power in God’s Word and in declaring God’s truth over ourselves. That’s what I see in today’s passage. Here is my paraphrase of Psalm 4:
“Father, I need your help and I know that you hear me. How long must I put up with this difficulty? I must remind myself that you have set me apart for your purposes, which I may not understand. God, I know you will answer my prayers in your perfect timing. While I wait, help me to not be a jerk to the people I encounter. Help be to pause and pray, so that I can respond instead of reacting from my emotions. Help me to have pure motives. Teach me how to trust you. There is no greater joy that you. Help me to remember that I am yours. I have nothing to fear because you are my protector.”
Isn’t this what God is reminding us? You have everything you need to deal with your problems….you have Me.
When we are faced with problems, are we crying out to God like David did? Are we reminding ourselves of God’s truth even when it is contrary to our circumstances and our emotions?
The answer to the question “how long” is this: until God moves. In the meantime, our job is to bring our pain and frustration to Him and to declare His truth over and over and over until we begin to believe it, even in the face of troubling circumstances.
This very morning I prayed through Philippians 4:4-6: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” I felt the exact opposite of joyful, but I rejoiced in God nonetheless. I confessed that I was not being considerate of others, and I asked for God’s help. I wrote down everything that I need, or at least what I think I need. It was a written word-vomit to God. Then I made a gratitude list.
I didn’t get a magic outcome after pouring out my heart to God this morning. But I am declaring that I trust Him by being obedient. When we are in a place of needing endurance, we will have to do this many times, over and over, even when we don’t feel like it. Because that’s what endurance is: doing the things that draw us closer to God with consistency, whether we feel like it or not.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Think of a situation in your life that is difficult and write out a “how long” prayer to God.
Have you ever had your reputation attacked? How did you handle it? How did it turn out? What do you think God was trying to teach you?
What truth do you need to declare over yourself today?
Write out what all you are thankful, and write out your trust in God.