I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.vs. 6-10
Ever heard the phrase, misery loves company?
Well, often, my misery finds great company with people like David.
Yeah, we know, Kayla. You’ve mentioned that about a million times before.
But for real.
To have someone like David – a “hero” of the faith – write words like those above bring me great relief.
To have the, “Wait, you too?” realization is such a comfort – whether in Scripture or with friends.
You know the distress of my soul…
We even find the, “Wait, you too?” with God.
He knows the distress of my soul.
What a weird space it is to be in with the Creator and Sustainer of all that we see and know, knowing the very distresses of my soul.
He knows all of the dirty little corners of who I am, and instead of handing me over to the enemy, He draws me even closer to Himself, convincing my heart that He sees me and still loves me.
In the midst of my heated outpouring of frustration and anger, He’s there.
When I’m acting petty and selfish, He’s there.
When I slander His creation, He is still there.
We’ve been asking a version of this question at my church for quite a while now: Can Jesus love even me?
And the answer, every.dang.time, is an overwhelming: YES.
He sees me, knows me, and loves me – because of His faithfulness. Because of His love.
And so, even in the midst of my affliction, I can – and will – rejoice and be glad in His steadfast love.
Kayla Smith 