Where Should We Look In a Trial?

You can listen to this post on the Refresh Her podcast.

One day my husband and I took our lunch from home and headed to the lake to sit on the boat dock and enjoy the pretty weather.  The water in the lake was still low, due the early time in the season.  So our seat on the dock was not sitting in the water, as you see in the picture below.  Instead, we were looking immediately out onto rocks; big, little and in-between, as well as the dirt beneath them.  There was even a bit of trash that had accumulated at the shoreline. it wasn’t a beach shore – it was the exposed lake bottom.   It wasn’t exactly picturesque. 

However, if I looked upward to the other side of the lake, there were beautiful homes to enjoy.  Trees were blooming.  The water was shining as the sun reflected off of it.  I decided to look upward instead of down! I could then point across the lake and say to my husband, “Look over there!  Isn’t that beautiful?”  If I was thinking, I could have also reminded him that in a month or so this lake would be full again and it would be so pretty right where we were sitting, too!

As I sat and looked at the contrast of the not-so-pretty close up view, and the beautiful distant view, I was reminded that this is the way trials look to us while they’re taking place.  We look down and there they are stony, hard, difficult, unsightly even!  The whole problem is that we’re looking in the wrong place.  We should let our mind (with anticipation) go to thoughts that will encourage us, just as we read David doing in Psalm 3. This chapter tells us of a difficult time when David could only see “rocky shores.” He wrote… Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Have you ever felt this way?!

Many were troubling David, telling him that God wouldn’t even help him! Often when we are experiencing trouble, we can also hear those kind of thoughts in our heart. But this kind of thinking is like “looking at rocky shores.” If we follow David’s example, we can be encouraged instead! Here’s how…

1. Remind yourself who your God is. . David states in verse 3, But Thou oh, Lord, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of my head.” He was preaching truth to himself. Remember what you already know to be true about your God! He is our shield. He is protecting and caring for you in your trial.
   He was David’s shield! He is ours, too!
   You are my glory and the One who lifts my head. God was showing David His glory. There was no glory in the trial itself or in the circumstance, but oh, the glory of His God!
2. Remind yourself what God will do.
   He will lift our head. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. This happens as we look up to God and focus on Christ.
   Don’t GIVE UP; Look up!
   He will hear our voice. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill Verse 4He pro mises to hear us when we pray! We must choose to call out to Him rather than to human help. He is the One who hears and can move in on our trial! Cry out to God.
3. Remember that God will sustain you. While you sleep your heart continues to pump; God is sustaining you. The God Who sustains us in our sleep will care for all or difficulties when we are awake. If God be for us, who can be against us?

When you look upward at the wonder of what God can do, your response will be encouraging – not only to your own heart, but also to those around you!  You can remind yourself that in time, even this will be a blessing. 

So swing your legs over the side of the dock and look to a God who is your shield, Who lifts your head, who hears your prayers and who sustains you. He will make everything (even your trial) beautiful in His time.