“Blessed is the one You discipline Lord, the one You teach from your law; You grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.” Psalm 94:12-13
Relief: feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress; alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain. When we read the definitions of relief, notice there is not a mention of avoiding the anxiety, the pain and stressors. Rather there is “reassurance following the distress”, and “easing or deliverance through the removal of pain” – we had to have the pain and distress in order for it to be removed.
The disciplines of the Lord and challenges of life not only teach and grow us, but there is relief in sight for those who follow Him. A chance to breathe, to be refreshed, to know peace in the midst of trouble. My daughter and I did this not long ago: in the midst of everything going on we just needed to breathe. And God provided us some unexpected free time to just go away for an afternoon and be refreshed by the waters, breathe in and enjoy His creation. Relief. It puts our minds on Christ, eases what seems unbearable, and brings the spiritual perspective back into focus.
Are you depressed? Are you secluded? Or maybe excluded? Feeling shut out or shut in? What brings you relief? Ask it of the Lord and He will grant you relief as you follow Him; He knows what you need and when. The Psalms around Psalm 94 speak of praising God, singing for joy to the Lord – yes, even when we are down. Whether you are in a low place right now, or in a position to be a hope, a light, a friend to someone who is down, don’t dismiss where you are. God can use us to be a relief to someone, even if we are in a low place ourselves.
We can fight from our knees for those around us and for ourselves. We can send letters of encouragement, take a meal to someone, pick up the phone and talk to a friend. And we can show kindness and compassion to those God places in our path each day (even if we don’t feel like it). We still have a choice: to be consumed by what’s going on around us, or to keep our focus on Christ in the midst of the swirling waters.
Psalm 94:18-19, 22 “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ Your unfailing love Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy … the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.”