One main thought occurred to me as I read these
four psalms of David today. If David had not gone through such difficult times
in his life, and if he had not written down his thoughts and prayers during
these challenging times, countless people would be bereft of one of the
greatest sources of comfort that has been known through literature over the past
three thousand years. Perhaps this should be an encouragement to us, that God
can use our painful experiences to bring comfort to others as well.
These psalms should also serve as an invitation
to us to write down our thoughts and prayers as we may travel through the
valley of the shadow. Writing can be a very
healing exercise. C. S. Lewis discovered this in his life. He once said that ink was
like a drug to him. Writing helped him to cope—especially when he went through
the tortuous ordeal of losing his wife to cancer. God has used Lewis’ journal
from that painful time in his life to help an untold number of people walking
the winding road of grief. Who knows who might be helped by you writing down
your thoughts and prayers as you try to navigate your way through times of
suffering?
When I was going through a difficult time some
years ago, a friend encouraged me to read Psalms 55-65, if I remember
correctly. I personally found great comfort through reading these psalms about
David’s many struggles with his enemies and how he eventually rose above it
all, that is, how God lifted him out of the miry pit. We all feel like we are
in the pits at times, and God is indeed the One who can lift us out, if we call
on him, and wait on him….
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