Devotion for Tuesday, July 14  
 
WHO DO YOU TRUST?
 
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."
Psalm 40:1-3
 
Have you ever experienced the feeling of despair, the feeling that all hope was gone? Many people have experienced it at least once in their lifetimes. How did you get through it? What helped you most? Did you have family and friends who showed up at just the right time? Did they give you words of encouragement? And, importantly, were you able to trust them? If you cannot trust the person speaking to you, how can you trust what they are saying?
 
What an awesome reassurance it is, that no matter how badly we perceive what is going on in our lives, that God is right there to help us! The description, in the Scripture verses, is clear and simple. We can easily relate to the what the author of the psalm is saying: "waited patiently for the Lord to help me", "heard my cry", "lifted me", "set my feet on solid ground", "steadied me", "a new song to sing", and "put their trust in the Lord". And the progression is excellent, from help and cry to sing and trust. Many times, when we can hardly perceive it, there is a progression in the things we experience. And, when we cannot see where things are going, who better to trust that God?
 
God hears us when we cry out to Him. He lifts us up out of "the mud and the mire" that seem to keep us stuck in places we do not want to be in. He not only sets our feet on solid ground but steadies us as we begin our walk out of the bad and into the good. He puts a song in our hearts, "a hymn of praise to our God". We can see the amazing things He has done. God has been with us through it all. What better reason do we need to feel totally confident in placing our trust in God?
 
Precious Lord, Thank you for always being with us in good times and in bad times. Help us to remember: that you always hear us when we cry out to You, that you lift us up when we need it most, that You always walk with us, You fill us with joy to the point of singing praises to You, You allow us to see the wonders that you perform and make us feel like everything will be Ok simply because we place our trust in You! Amen.
 
                                                          Denise Clark
                                                          Christ Servant Minister

 
820 Almshouse Road  Ivyland, PA 18974
215 357-6998   stjumc@aol.com