Psalm 138:1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

It’s possible David was writing this psalm in a time of distress. If so, we observe a typical strategy for David in such situations. Rather than huddle with his advisers or his war council or whomever in times of struggle, David spends his time worshipping the Lord. And in seeking the Lord, David notes how God “increased my strength of soul”. There is nothing to indicate that David’s outward circumstances had improved, only that the Lord did a work on his inside.

I was praying recently with someone dealing with some very difficult circumstances beyond her control. She’s doing her best to handle the adversity, but it just keeps coming. She’s growing weary. So a group of us prayed for her. And while we pray that the external pressures will subside, of course, we mostly prayed for God to do a work on her from the inside-out.

Maybe that’s you today. Maybe you have some difficult circumstances that just keep coming. And you’re growing weary, wondering when it will all end. Well, only God knows. What I do know is that God can strengthen you to hold on – no matter how long the external situation persists. Follow David’s lead today. Instead of focusing on your problem, focus on the Lord. Thank God for his goodness and ask for peace that passes understanding. Lord, let it be so. Amen.