“O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within. I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way. I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot. I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave. Silence their lying lips— those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly. How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” Psalms 31:1-24 NLT
Loyalty in this world is hard. There is so much information, so many claims, or situations that can seem overwhelming. You don’t always know right from wrong. With everything claiming to be unique, demanding your attention, and stealing your time it can feel impossible to do anything or get anything done. There are so many nuances that they can lose their meaning if nobody can even comprehend them. When you feel beat down, broken, and overwhelmed by this world; when you feel cut off, vulnerable, and hurt. There is a level of desensitization that can happen when injustice, sin, and the like are normal or worse praised and worshipped. When you don’t feel like you have control and the world tells you do, but in reality choice overwhelms you with the sheer amount of choices for you to make. You no longer have any control even with all the choices if you can’t function or think. This makes everything seem meaningless while with God it doesn’t have to be. He is a fortress in the storm, a light in the darkness, and a rock to build your life on. Everything is meaningless without God. Remember that without God behind out choices most things are pretty pointless. It is a pretty hard dichotomy to live in and a struggle I see a lot of people today with a discipline problem. It is not that people all of a sudden have lost their dreams, it is that they are losing being challenged, growing, and developing skills. Even if you aren’t skilled or capable alone to survive and thrive in this life. Trusting in God will ultimately bring about a righteous life. It is hard work but nothing is impossible through God.
This post first appeared on my personal website.
projectniko.org 