I Am in Distress

by Ray Warfel, Jr.

On Wednesday evening here at Winston-Salem, we are studying through the Psalms. Just a sampling of Psalms through the end of the year. I chose Psalm 31 for us to begin with, and I call this psalm: A Life Entrusted to God.

One of the features we see in the Psalms is what I’d call the rocking boat. The ups and downs in life that the godly person will experience. My favorite example is the two psalms laid side by side. Psalms 22 and Psalm 23. You could even imagine them being one day after the other. The first begins, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” And the next begins, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all I need.” Walking with Jesus doesn’t smooth out all the waves, even though he did calm the storm on the sea. It doesn’t fill in all the dark valleys, but it also doesn’t reduce the highest joys.

David shares the pain of a particular season. How long it continued, I do not know, but it seems to have been for some time. Think about these lines: “Be gracious to me, Lord, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from frustration—my whole being as well. Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors. I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me. I am forgotten: gone from memory like a dead person—like broken pottery. I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side. When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life” (Psalms 31:9–13).

I’d like to add a couple of notes or paraphrase what I hear David saying. It is David’s psalm, but in years past these have been the words of my prayers. And I suppose they may be again someday when distress comes back.

I prayed, Jesus, I cry all the time; I can’t even hide it anymore. I’m emotionally exhausted. I can’t catch my breath; it feels like a panic attack is coming over me. And God, you know it feels like it’s always been like this my whole life. And I’m tired, Lord, so tired. I feel like Brownie, the old Chevy. I’m down a cylinder; my engine is still running, but there is just no power. I’ve barely got enough juice to get out of my own way. I know I’ve made mistakes, but the consequences are wearing me out. And God, nobody is on my side. Everybody is an enemy. Even my friends don’t want to be around me anymore. Is it because of my complaining or what? Are they afraid they’ll catch this misery from me like a disease? But honestly, they’d rather not even think about me at all. God, I feel forgotten. Like I’ve just been thrown away. Like a piece of garbage. And I know what those hateful ones say about me. They wish I were dead. But I trust in you, Lord.

That is the rocking boat of faith. Distress is real. The pain is real. The waves are real. But so is God. A life entrusted to God isn't a life without distress; it is a life that knows where to turn when distress comes.