Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 27:7–9, ESV
To know and trust in God does not mean that all hardship will go away. At the same time, when we make mistakes and do things that are contrary to God’s will, it does not mean that the struggles we face are solely because God has turned His back on us and that God will not forgive us and be a help in times of need. God claims His own. It’s not a choice that we make. Our rebellion against God is our choice, but God’s calling us to Himself is not ours to make. When we are chosen by God, in turning to Him, we will find comfort in our struggles and strength that we previously did not have to continue on. In our Lord, we find hope and security because He never truly turns away from His chosen, and when we turn to Him, we may find Him closer than we had ever previously thought. The power of our prayers to our Lord is centered in the reality that God hears them. His answer may not fit what we think is the right thing, but He hears us, listens to our cries, and does that which is His will. His will can seem to be changed, as we find within Scripture, but you will find that the outcomes have a greater effect on showing out His mercy and glory. When we turn to Christ, we find that He is never far from us. We may find His face in a friend or family member that brings comfort and peace. When we think of our Lord’s love and look back on our lives, we may find that He was with us in times when we thought we were alone in the darkness. We may find Him in the most unexpected people who came to assist at the right moment. It is our God who brings us salvation and our Lord who brings us peace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.