The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.

Psalm 28:7

Trusting God may begin as the desire for Him to meet a need in a particular situation, but it ends in a richer, stronger relationship with Him. Difficulties aren’t aberrations of life, they are an integral part of life. Sometimes, we bring them on ourselves by doing something foolish and destructive, and sometimes owound us by their selfishness. Whatever the cause- by people or natural disaster or demonic activity- difficulties drive us to God with cries for help.

The answer may come instantly, but far more often, God takes His time to work more deeply in our hearts to purify our motives. Then, when the answer comes, we don’t even think of claiming credit. We gladly point people to God as the source of the solution.

But a strange thing happens. When the answer comes, we’re glad; however, something much deeper has happened in our hearts. We realize that we know God better than before, and that makes our rejoicing even sweeter.

Whenever a friend comes through for us when we’re in trouble, we tell everybody we know, and praise our friend’s virtues. It’s the same in our friendship with God. When we’re convinced that He has come through for us, we can’t stop talking about Him, and in fact, we sing His praises.

Zig Ziglar

I looked at God and He looked at me, and we were one forever.

Charles Spurgeon

Let me encourage you today to read our text verse, Psalm 28:7 again and again until the words sink deep into your spirit. This verse opens with the words, “The Lord is my strength.” I think God recognizes that sometimes life can just wear us out. As a matter of fact the Bible says that the devil in the last days begins a campaign to “wear out the saints.” I meet so many people today that say literally that they feel tired and weary from all of life’s difficulties. Many feel that they never seem to get a break. Problems move from one to another and in many cases overlap so that there is never a moment to rest before the next crisis arises. Because of these very things we need to learn to trust in the strength of God instead of our own. Isaiah tells us that even the youth grow weary but “those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Paul came to that place of trust after he had sought God to remove the thorn in his flesh three times. God’s response wasn’t exactly what Paul expected or even desired for instead of fixing the situation, God said, “My grace is sufficient.” Paul concludes by saying that he chose to accept and even glory in his weakness so that the strength of God could make him complete. Now that’s learning to trust in the strength of God.

The next phrase says that “(God is) my shield.” Are you in a place where you feel that life is coming at you at light speed and the arrows of pain and sorrow and trouble are whizzing through the air directed toward your very soul? Learn to stay hidden behind God who will shield you from the “fiery darts of the evil one.” Learning to trust God to protect you, to keep you, and to shield you from the things that life and the world throws at you gives us a sense of security and peace that is beyond anything humanly possible to attain.

As we progress through Psalm 28:7 we read “My heart trusts in Him and I am helped.” Hebrews 13:5, 6 tells us that God has promised the “never leave us nor forsake us.”

“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “ The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me ?” (Hebrews 13:6)

No matter what the circumstances we can rely on God to be with us, not as a casual observer but as One who is totally involved with us. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that He does the heavy lifting and when we are yoked with Him, our burdens become light. The key to this is that we trust Him with our hearts. We might not know the specific outcome to a situation but we learn to trust that the God who walks with us is leading us and bringing together everything that touches our lives for good. And He bestows upon us “every good and perfect gift, coming down from the Father of lights who does not change.”

Our grateful response to the goodness of God is to rejoice. Rejoicing is the verb of joy. It is the active response from a heart filled with joy. The original Hebrew for rejoicing means to twirl in dancing. That’s what Christ said that happened in the presence of the angels when one sinner comes home. God is so filled with joy when we renounce sin and receive Christ that He rejoices. No just sitting there as though it isn’t something wonderful. The Bible tells us that God rejoices over us.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

Zephaniah 3:17

Imagine that. God rejoices over little you and me as though we were the best of His creation. That fact ought to make us shout for joy. We are so loved and important to God that He rejoices over us. That’s right God rejoices over you!

When we meditate on the goodness of God, our hearts rejoice and we have a song to sing- a song of joy and praise to the One in whom we trust. Paul’s sums up our reason to trust fully in God and to rejoice in Him with these words:

“This is why I suffer as I do. Still, I am not ashamed; for I know Him [and I am personally acquainted with Him] whom I have believed [with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in the truth of His deity], and I am persuaded [beyond any doubt] that He is able to guard that which I have entrusted to Him until that day [when I stand before Him].” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Herein is the source of joy and peace. We do not trust in our strength or wisdom or abilities but we commit everything to God and our confidence is in all He is and we place our lives fully in His hands and give up our independence to become dependent upon Him and we rest upon His promises and wait for His answers and help.

Every answered prayer, every need met, every moment of help and comfort, every time God touches us, holds us, strengthens us reminds us that He can be trusted. Take a moment and reflect on all the times God has blessed you in some way and let that record become the foundation to increase your trust in Him.

Dr. John Thompson