It is inevitable that our faith in God will be tried while living in this world. Sometimes during personal trial, when negative thoughts seem to take over our minds and emotions; we find ourselves being overcome with doubting thoughts and feeling fear, which sets us up for unbelief in God’s faithfulness to see us through and bring good out of the bad. Because of the longevity of King David’s trials, he began to doubt God’s faithful love and to believe the lie that the Lord was not listening and had forgotten His servant. But in spite of King David’s feelings of rejection and self-pity, somewhere deep down in his hurting heart he grasped the possible hope that God’s love was bigger than his weakness. In desperation he cried out to the Living God and walked past his frustration, fear, and unbelief. Then David’s faith recognized that God’s unconditional love was the only power that could lift him out of the spiritual darkness he was stuck in and bring him hope and a renewed relationship with his Lord. The enemy will use this same strategy to tear at us when the realness of our faith is tried, during times of feeling weary, and the way seems to long. At this point, we can easily be pulled into the blinding darkness of self-pity: poor me, nobody has it as hard as me, my life has always been hard and it will always be hard. These negative thoughts are from the enemy, and will trap us in self-pity; keeping us from being able to move forward emotionally and spiritually. No matter how bad it feels, there is always hope for a better day with Jesus! In times of trials and testing, God is only a cry away! Just as He rescued King David, He will rescue us from our unbelief and reveal His faithfulness as we continue to turn and run to Him.

“How long will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness], lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psalm 13:1-3).