I WILL BE GLAD
Psalms 31:7-8 NKJV
7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities,
8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.
This psalm is another that was penned by David. And in David’s typical tone, he starts with declarations of trust in the Lord and who the Lord is to him. But David does not skip over the troubles that he faced. I think sometimes we tend to act as if troubles do not ever come to the believer. No one wants to anticipate trouble. But then neither should we be in denial. And neither should we be afraid of what is coming. And David gives reasons for his positive perspective, even when trouble raises its head.
“I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy.” I am impressed and inspired by David’s confidence in God. He had a lot of faith in the mercy and goodness of God. David did not believe that God abandoned him when trouble came. On the contrary. David declares that God had considered his troubles. And that God knew his soul in adversities. The word adversities is also translated as troubles. To David, God was not blind to what was going on in his life. When we face trouble, it can be easy to think that God does not see or care. Neither is true. God sees. God knows.
And David continues with his reasons for gladness. Not only does God see and know, but God has not shut him up into the hand of the enemy. Another way of saying that is God has not given him over to the hand of the enemy. David stays glad and rejoicing because of God’s mercy. It was the mercy of God that saw the troubles David was experiencing. And the mercy of God that did not give him into the hand of the enemy. And it was the mercy of God that set David’s feet in a wide place. When I think of feet in a wide place, I think of room to move and maneuver. When your feet are in a wide place, you are not boxed in or trapped by the enemy.
David had a great amount of confidence in the mercy of God. And because of that confidence, He could be glad and rejoice.
APPLICATION
When you think of God, what do you attribute to Him? Are you confident in His mercy, or are you concerned about His indifference? If we are going to err in any direction, let’s put the confidencein His great mercy. He sees what is going on in our lives. He sees the troubles we face, but He is not turning us over to the enemy. To gain more confidence in God’s mercy, one of the best things we can do is be glad and rejoice. We can choose to be glad and rejoice; we don’t have to wait for everything to turn out perfect. That simple step of faith in God will help build confidence in His great mercy. Which in turn causes more gladness and rejoicing. You have heard of a death spiral; this is a great spiral of life.
PRAYER
Lord, I choose to be glad and rejoice in Your mercy. You know me, You see me, and You help. I am standing in a strong place because of You.