A Spacious Place
"When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place." Psalm 118:5
Insight
My daughter is getting to the age where she wants to ride a bike. Maybe it's because she is our firstborn, or perhaps it's just her personality, but I wouldn't describe her as a risk-taker. She thinks things through and is overly careful; she even tries to convince others that they need to be more cautious. Riding a bike has been interesting because although she is so excited to learn, I think her nerves often get the best of her.
She has mastered the tricycle and riding with training wheels, but the strider bike or balance bike, the one with two wheels that doesn't have pedals, is not her favorite. She either keeps one foot on the ground or calls out for help as soon as it gets rolling. My husband and I have tried to convince her to keep going. We have run beside her as well as giving her a gentle push. We've even shown her how to do it, but something about the lack of control stops her every time from continuing.
When I read today's verse, I had two thoughts. One thought was, why was God's response to bring him into a spacious place? Was the author confined or trapped? Did he need to escape? The other thought was, is it really that easy? I've been in hard places and faced difficult things, and God doesn't usually fix my problems right away, did the author of this Psalm just have to cry out, and God immediately fixed things?
The more I thought about it, the above questions may be true, but I don't think either of my initial thoughts get to the heart of this passage. When the author cried out to the Lord, God did respond, but He answered in a way that gives peace. The verse doesn't say that God fixed the problem or made everything better; it says that He brought the author into a spacious place.
I think too often we feel like God doesn't respond because the problems we face aren't solved, but what if we could begin seeing God's response through His eyes? For example, we may pray for a promotion at work, and God closes that door because He knows the stresses that come along with it aren't suitable for our family. Maybe we pray for God to fix frustrations with a family member, but nothing seems to change. However, God reveals ways that our heart has hardened over the years and is opening doors for growth. Maybe you have been praying for community, and you continue to feel isolated, but God is using this time to draw you closer to Him. I believe that God wastes nothing, and He is always working. Every hard season or frustrating problem God uses to shape and mold who we are becoming.
For our daughter, when she cries out for help, we are there. But when she cries out, she wants to get off and quit. Our response is not to let her stop but to encourage her because we KNOW that she would love it. We KNOW she can do it, and we want to challenge her to step out of her comfort zone. Likewise, when we cry out to God, He is there. But just because His response may be different than our initial request, it doesn't mean that He is absent. Cry out to the Lord with your struggles but open your heart to how He may respond. It may not be what you initially wanted, but God has purpose in all that He does.
Reflection
Where do you find yourself crying out for help, direction, or insight?
Prayer
God, thank you for the battles I face that draw me closer to You. Thank you for always knowing what I need and seeing the bigger picture when I become so laser-focused on what is right in front of me. Open my eyes to what You are doing and form my desires to align with your ways. God, I pray for peace in the unknown and the waiting; I pray for peace that comes from You alone. Amen.
Katie Robinson, Children's Ministry Home Coordinator, wrote today's devotional.
