WORD OF THE DAY IS DESPAIR

Ps13:5-6 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

David has run from Saul for years and now is at the end of his rope. The promise of Kingship was right there, just beyond his grasp. He tried everything to appease and please Saul but never seemed to achieve his goal. He was exhausted, sick of heart and spirit and ready to quit. Giving up and giving in to his circumstances, would finally give him a much needed rest. David felt he could not go on, not another minute.

David felt hopelessness, discouragement, desperation, distress, anguish. These emotions are precursors of the road to despair. What does David do at this point? He did not succumb to despair, he held on to his faith. A good definition of faith is to be persuaded of certain facts because God said them, not because our immediate situation supports them. It is much harder to hold on than to give up.

David prayed because he trusted God and knew that he could always turn to him. God responded by giving him the assurance of unfailing love and strong knowledge of his rescue. Never give up on God’s promises. You may not see them now but trust that the answer is coming. Then sing, “As David sang”, because the Lord is good.