Have you been discouraged?

Attacked or slandered by enemies?

Beaten by circumstance upon conspiring circumstance?

At the end of yourself?

Hope gone?

Faith fragile?

No more thinking.

No more crying.

No more praying.

Where only God's mercy could rescue you from the mess you & others had created?

Only God's grace could give you what you could never earn alone?

Only God's love could soften calloused, embittered hearts?

Read God's Word to you in Psalm 56. Yesterday a friend quoted verse 13 in class of twenty people. Yet he was speaking just to me.

Psalm 56

¹ Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
     all day long they press their attack.
² My slanderers pursue me all day long;
     many are attacking me in their pride.

³ When I am afraid,
     I will trust in you.
⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
     in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
     What can mortal man do to me?

⁵ All day long they twist my words;
     they are always plotting to harm me.
⁶ They conspire, they lurk,
     they watch my steps,
     eager to take my life.

⁷ On no account let them escape;
     in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.
⁸ Record my lament;
     list my tears on your scroll --
     are they not in your record?

⁹ Then my enemies will turn back
     when I call for help.
     By this I will know that God is for me.
¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise,
     in the LORD, whose word I praise--
¹¹ in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
     What can man do to me?

¹² I am under vows to you, O God;
     I will present my thank offerings to you.
¹³ For you have delivered me from death
     and my feet from stumbling,
    that I may walk before God
     in the light of life.

Fifty weeks ago I was at verse 1. More than a year's previous trouble, some of my own creating & some created by others, had come to one afternoon meeting. I saw no way out. My reasons didn't matter. My fight didn't matter. I was done.

Yet. In God's sovereignty I needed no more reasons nor fight. He had determined. He had done what no person could. In His grace. For His purpose.

Fifty weeks later I am at verse 13. Near a year's worth of healing, learning, growing, forgiving, depending, & loving came to that same afternoon meeting. A completely different situation. A lesson from my life. To your life. You can make it through.

God is sovereign. He loves you. He will deliver.

Trust in Him.