Words of Hope Daily Devotional
Staying the Course
Read: Psalm 18:27-42
You equipped me with strength for the battle. (v. 39)
For me, long distance running didn’t come easy. I started by walking, and I wasn’t fast. Over time, through many months and years of training, I racked up the miles until I was ready for a 5K, and even longer races. Similarly, the faith journey takes perseverance. It can feel difficult, like running a marathon in heat or rain. Sometimes, we might feel pain. We might want to quit. But someone serious about running a marathon keeps on running.
In Psalm 18, David recounts that when the struggles of life may seem to overcome us, God delivers us. God gives us strength (v. 32), makes our feet firm on a safe path (vv. 33, 36), and equips us for the battles of life (vv. 34-35). We all face moments in life when we question God’s faithfulness and his promises. We may doubt his goodness when things don’t go as planned, or when we are in despair. But David found hope and strength in remembering God’s past acts of faithfulness to carry him through the present and the future (vv. 27-30).
God protects and defends everyone who trust him. Psalm 18 is a powerful reminder of this truth. If you need help today, re-read the entire psalm and use it to strengthen your trust in God’s perfect way and faithfulness. If we have faith in God’s promises, that faith will enable us to withstand suffering, which “produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame” (Rom. 5:1-5).
As you pray, ask how you can stay strong through your faith journey.
About the Author
Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is the author of two devotional poetry collections,To Be Held by the LightandWaking in the Light. She is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
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