In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Psalm 71:1-3
My Rock, to which I may continually come. Today is a day of preaching to myself that God never tires of me, He always desires for me to come to Him. And that even when my soul is anxious, I can trust He has good in mind for me.
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. Psalm 71:5-6
He has steadily been my hope and my trust. He, being Creator, being King of Kings, in His soveriegnty, has been a Rock for me since before I was born. He is the beginning and the end, therefore before I was even born I leaned on Him. Because He’s God, and because He is mighty and holy and holds the entire universe in His hands. I believe that to be true. He took me from my mother’s womb, which means He had a plan for me, for my life. He knew who I would be, where I would go, what I would struggle with, what hardships I would face, who I would interact with, what joys I would encounter. He knew all of this, and still chose to bring me into this world, promising to stay with me if I believed in Him as Lord. I fully believe, even if sometimes my mind has to intentionally preach it to my heart, that He would not have brought me into this world to leave me alone. He is a loving God, always, in spite of my sinful self. He desires to care for me. How glorious a truth.
O God, be not far from me… I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Psalm 71:12-13, 17-18
Praise. This is a response for an anxious soul. Truth of the Bible, truth of God, this is Rock-solid truth. Praise is an affirming response, one that believes in the truth of His promises. Even when a bit of anxiety colors my day, I will ask His Spirit to help me hope continually and praise Him still more and more.
How do you interact with God when you have an anxious soul?