HOPE IN THE LORD FOR HELP (1)

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who HOPE IN the LORD” – Psalm 31:24

Supernatural Courage and Inner Strength are the portions of those who HOPE in the LORD for HELP: "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who HOPE IN the LORD” (Psa.31:24). The New International Version says, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (NIV). It's unclear when David wrote this Psalm. Some believe it was after the betrayal of Keilah (1Sam.23: 10-13). Others believe it was written years later after his son Absalom rebelled against him. Whatever the context, even we feel what he faced!

The psalmist admitted in verse 22 that he had hastily accused God of forsaking him: “For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes.” How often do we feel that God has left us to our own devices? We often complain: “How could You, God? Why do You allow this to happen?” Sometimes we think that God has given up on us, forgetting that He is not human like us! He never throws in the towel when things seem to go terribly wrong. GOD is the Creator of EVERYTHING! He is the Master, the ONE that knows it all, and knows US all, since He made us, shaped us in the womb and knew our paths in life even before we released our first breath.

Beloved, let’s Hope in the Lord for help! God does not make mistakes and HE NEVER GIVES UP. So, we have no reason to give up! We can trust and rely on Him, despite our failures. Even when we offend Him, He forgives us, because He knows our frail frame (Psa.103:14). We need not be timid and afraid when Satan carries out his deceitful schemes to make us face dangers and tribulations, or to try to make everything go wrong. God is right by our side, protecting us constantly, keeping us from one misfortune or disaster after another. Our lives and fate are in His Hands: “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand…” (vv.14-15a).

We can relate to David’s side-by-side plea for help and praise to God. In the one hand, he was desperate, hurt, mournful, in need of rescue and supply. And in the other, he was praising God for His goodness and faithfulness. We can bring both our praise and pleas to God. He wants all of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. Our praise and joy; our cries and heartaches. Through everything, let’s always remember that God is faithful. Let’s never lose hope in moments of hardship and become frantic and panicky, forgetting that God is with and for us. He will hold us up when things want to bring us down, and will be our strength when we’re too weak to keep on going.