When Trouble Sets You Aside
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Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.Psalm 4:3 ESV
Shadows from the morning sunlight danced across my bedroom ceiling and caught my eye as I awoke, but it was difficult to welcome its presence. After another fitful night of sleep, my physical forecast for that day appeared the same as the long stretch of days preceding it: sprinkled with gloom and containing a splash of doom.
Years had passed since my diagnosis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I had expected an up-turn in my health by this point, yet the symptoms had worsened. Muscle pain, headaches, and insomnia robbed my ability to participate in the simplest tasks. Swaddled in my bed linens, I prayed: “Lord, what’s my purpose here?”
No matter what words I prayed––or how long––heaven was silent to my pleas for deliverance. Looking back on that season of my life, the words of Psalm 4:3a rush to my mind: Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself.
King David penned these words while running from his son, Absolom, and his cohorts. Absolom ordered the death of his father because Absolom desired the throne of Israel for himself. It was David’s rightful position––assigned to him by the Lord to oversee the welfare of His people. But David’s enemy was hot on his trail.
After fleeing his kingdom, David found himself “set apart.” He was separated from his calling, his people, and his expectations. I imagine he––like me––wondered what God was up to, the purpose of his trial, and when the Lord would answer his prayers for rescue.
Perhaps you’re wrestling with the same questions. Maybe sickness, grief, financial hardship, or infertility has left you feeling far from the place where you know you could serve a purpose if given the chance. Instead, it seems life is passing by without your contribution.
During that period when it seemed like God had placed me on life’s shelf, I learned that sometimes the Lord will separate us from doing so He can teach us lessons in being––simply being with Him. Our Father wants us to be confident in Him––His presence, provision, and power––not in what we can do for Him (or anyone else).
Cling to this truth: although the Father’s hand may separate us from the hustle and bustle of life’s activities, we’re never separated from Him. And just as God sustained David in his isolation, protected, and delivered him from his enemies, He will do the same for His children.
Like David, we can declare: the Lord hears when I call to him (Ps. 4:3b). Take heart, dear friend. Your Father is with you. He’s listening and providing treasures that are unavailable amid the hum of activity. And He’s working out His purpose for your life. You––and I––can trust Him. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear Father, when hard times set me on the sidelines of life, help me trust that Your hand remains upon me. Wrap me in Your comforting presence. I will rest in knowing that You are fulfilling a glorious purpose for me in every circumstance. Fill me with peace as I cling to Your promise for provision and deliverance. I will continue to call on You. Thank You for hearing my heart’s cry, now and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Ponder
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:10 ESV
What situation has you feeling like you’re set apart from life’s activities? How does knowing Your Father is in control of your circumstances give you comfort? Ask Him to help you rest in His presence, provision, and timing instead of striving to work it out for yourself.
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