I was scared for the sun to set each day.
Because when the sun set, I knew what was going to follow. Darkness. Anxiety. Panic.
Our family had moved and I was struggling in a new city, with a new job and a lot of new responsibility. We had just left an unhealthy environment and my body was beginning to let down from many years in that toxic environment.
On those sleepless nights, my prayers sounded like David’s in Psalm 22. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.”
I didn’t understand what was happening in my body. I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. My prayers came from a place of deep desperation and disorientation.
Eventually, nearly every follower of Jesus ends up in a moment where their prayers sound like the beginning of Psalm 22. Have you ever prayed “God, why aren’t you answering me?”
I was reading those words in Psalm 22 recently when I had a profound realization. Psalm 23 comes immediately after in the Bible. One chapter begins with “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?,” while the next chapter begins with “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”
I believe we need a Psalm 23 faith in order to make it in a Psalm 22 world. Additionally, we need a song like “Good Plans” when we’re in the middle of bad times. Red Rocks Worship released “Good Plans” as their first single on their Ascend album earlier this year.
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The chorus of the song includes the following lines:
“He has good plans
He has good plans for me
So, I will take heart in deserts and gardens
He has good plans”
The chorus reflects an awareness that life with God is not going to be an exclusively ideal or comfortable environment. Our lives will include “deserts and gardens.” Psalm 23 speaks of walking through “the valley of the shadow of death” and being “in the presence of my enemies.”
In speaking about this new album, Kory Miller from Red Rocks Worship remarked on Psalm 23. “It became the focal point of every word that we wrote for that song… I’m really excited for this song. It feels like a major personal revelation that turned into a corporate revelation for our church.”
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Miller and Red Rocks Worship are not alone. This psalm has inspired a number of songs which are popular on Air1 Radio currently including “Psalm 23” by Phil King and Meredith Andrews, “Lead Me on Good Shepherd” by Patrick Mayberry, and “So Help Me God” by Benjamin William Hastings. This beloved psalm is being sung back to us and drawing our focus back to God in the middle of hard circumstances.
The psalm is both honest and hopeful; David tells the truth while still encouraging us. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name…Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
As I’ve listened to “Good Plans” on repeat recently, and as I’ve meditated on Psalm 23 this year, three truths keep coming to mind for me. These truths were needed reminders in my life and I hope they encourage you as well.
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First, we will be tempted to doubt in the dark what we learned and experienced in the light. It’s easy to believe something when we’re in the moment of a powerful experience. However, when that experience fades, doubt all too often enters our hearts. We must be ready for dark times to come and we would be wise to expect this kind of temptation.
Second, we will need to rehearse the promises God made in the light as darkness closes in. David’s words are not a reflection of his circumstances, as his life was filled with countless times of crisis. His words are a reflection of the faithfulness of God in his past and the promises of God regarding his future. Even simply remembering “When I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” can be helpful to resetting our expectations.
Third, we will need to remember the character and power of God while we’re in the dark. It’s easy to ask “why?!” when we find ourselves overwhelmed with fear and doubt. But, the “why” question doesn’t go back and undo loss, and understanding why something happened doesn’t lessen how much it hurts. Instead of fixating on “why,” we can ask “who is God in this moment?” Focusing on the character of God rather than our control (or lack of control) in a challenging time can introduce real, lasting peace.
It’s hard to see what God is doing when we’re overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or afraid. If you’re flooded with those feelings today, I encourage you to read Psalm 23 and listen to “Good Plans.” Though you may be in the dark, you are not alone and God will always guide you.
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps you laugh, challenges you to think, and invites you to grow. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani, an award-winning attorney, and they are the parents of three growing savages. You can learn more about Scott’s newest resource, The Start-Over Guide, at scottsavagelive.com.
