“Hear me when I call, O Yehovah of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 4:1
None of us like pain, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. We go to extraordinary lengths to avoid discomfort or painful experiences. Chemist and supermarket shelves are stacked high with pain relief medication. Doctors’ surgeries are booked days or even weeks in advance by people seeking consultations regarding anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. A recent survey showed that 20% of adults in the U.K. suffer from these ailments, while 25% of 18-24 year olds in the USA said they had contemplated suicide in the previous month. Never before, particularly in our relatively affluent western societies, have people been so desperate for pain relief in all these areas. And yet, it is in our ‘low’ times, our periods of barrenness and despair that our roots go deeper – like a thirsty plant seeking out the sustenance of the water and nutrients it needs to survive and grow. Similarly, when the storms of life batter the houses we have built, be they on a rock or on sand, we realise it is imperative that our roots, our foundations, must go deep into Yehovah.
In Psalm 4:1 David says he was enlarged in his distress, in his time of need, his time of weakness and desperation. None of us craves to go through tough or hard times. Yet often it is only while we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, battling against doubt and temptation, that we really become aware of His abiding presence with us, reassuring us that we need not fear nor despair. Our faith and our hearts are enlarged in the times we feel most in need – in the times of our distress – because that is when we are most likely to call out to and rely upon His abiding presence. Today, remember that Emmanuel is with you to grow, enlarge, strengthen, deliver and settle you. Stand fast and you will see His salvation.