Years ago, I took my family camping to a state park a couple of hours out of Dallas. Fort something. It was fall, the leaves were turning and the weather was cool. As is often the nature of camping, one tends to hit the sleeping bags early, since there’s not a lot to do. And the kids didn’t complain (at least that’s the way I remember it).
Around midnight, a howling wind woke me up. Tree limbs bent and creaked, and I was afraid they would fall on our tent. As I contemplated evacuating everyone into the car, I crawled back into the tent and looked at the faces of my kids. They were completely at peace, and Psalm 4:8 came to mind. Lesson learned – I went back into my bag and went to sleep.
Morning came and I went outside. Huge branches lay on the ground all over the place, but nothing came near our tent. We really did dwell in safety.
In Psalm 3, David addresses the sleep thing again:
“I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side” (Psalm 3:5-6 NLT).
Now it’s easy for me, and for you, to relate to the passage in Psalm 4 because it doesn’t talk about being surrounded by 10,000 enemies on every side. But that’s the kind of trust King David had. He never forgot that the Lord watched over him. That’s the kind of trust you should have, because the Lord is watching over you.
“He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:3-4 NLT).
David showed us regardless of the situation, he kept his heart and mind focused upon the Lord, even when he was surrounded by thousands of enemies.
The LORD can be trusted even when things go bad. The prophet Habakkuk speaks to this:
“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT)!
Today’s One Thing:
We must not have situational trust. Choose to place your trust in Him because of Who He is. And whatever situation arises, He watches over you.
“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
