In my distress

   I called to the LORD,

and He answered me.

            Psalm 120. 1

(First response,

     not last resort.

How much time and energy

   we waste

   because we are trying

   to find our way out

              on our own?

When we call on Him,

    God always answers,

often in unexpected ways,

never in singular purposes,

sometimes a rescue helicopter

 to pluck us out of the miry bog,

sometimes His strength

  to walk through to the

           other side of this,

sometimes He sends

     one who is faithful

     to come alongside.

Don't attempt it without Him.

When we trust God in His designs,

   He always brings us

   to a deeper intimacy with Him,

   to know Him more,

      and reveal Him to others.

How are we able to do that?

    Not on our own,

             but in Him.)

O LORD,

We struggle.

We all struggle with something.

But in our distress,

    we are drawn closer to You.

We know that we

           are not in control,

but in our dismay,

     we realize that You are.

Draw our eyes and hearts

   not to our weakness,

but to Your strength.

Your purposes are deeper

   than we can possibly know.

Dismay is only thinking

  that You can't use this.

We don't have to understand

         Your purposes in this

  to be faithful to You in them.

You give me strength

  even just to know

            You are in this.