2024-10-04 “my strength faileth me”

Psalms 38:10  “My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

Oftentimes, in this life, it seems impossible for us to overcome the obstacles that lay before us.  Our obstacles are many and of various types, some of our own making, some are the evil works of the devil, and there are obstacles that plague us simply because we live alongside this world’s sin and corruption.  These tribulations can begin to rob us of strength and to remove all signs of joy from our eyes.  There are times, when our troubles are so great that it seems impossible for us to faithfully meet our duties and responsibilities, for our “strength faileth” us, and “for the light of” our “eyes”, “it also is gone from” us (Psalms 38:10).  Yet, the Psalmist prayed, “in thee, O LORD, do I hope”, and he proclaimed, “thou wilt hear, O Lord my God” (Psalms 38:15) and he pleaded, “Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.  22  Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.” (Psalms 38:21-22).  We know that the Lord heard his prayer, for later on he wrote, “The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us” (Psalms 115:12).  By Divine Revelation, Paul comforts us with these words, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13).  Our troubles are much like the myriads of troubles that the Children of God endured in Biblical times; but the good news is, that their Deliverer is also our Deliverer!  Our loving Lord knows that there are times when “we” are “pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we” despair “even of life” (II Corinthians 1:8); however, we learn from our experiences “that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:  10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (II Corinthians 1:9-10).  Knowing of our troubles, our Lord lovingly beckons us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) and exhorts us to “Take my yoke upon you [that is, lovingly submit to His authority over us], and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29).