The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! Psalms 25:17 NKJV
The conversation was heading in the wrong direction. The tightness in my chest that I felt before the meeting was now feeling as if it was putting a chokehold on my heart. The right words of response seemed to elude me. I felt as if I was wilting in fast motion underneath the unbearable heat of the scorching sun. “That will be all.” The conversation ended abruptly and without fanfare. I was free to go.
King David was penning exactly what he was living it out. The Hebrew word “troubles” is taken from a root word “tsar” meaning narrow, or tightness. Figuratively, it means distress, adversary, or troubles. It is the feeling that everything is closing in and the options for a better change are “narrowing” down.
It’s bad enough to have troubles with limited options, but King David states that the negative situations are growing even larger. It appears at times, it’s going from bad to worse. It’s a merry-go-round of troubles that are not slowing down so that you can get off, rather the ride is speeding up.
In the midst of this expanding turmoil, King David cries out for help. Notice he does not ask immediately for the bad things to stop. He doesn’t pray for the ability to have the strength to endure through the pain. He wants God to take him away from the troubles. He wants to be removed from the situations that are surrounding him. The words “bring me out” carry the idea of moving from one territory to another. Contained within this phrase is the help that is needed when life is surrounding you. Ask for the ability to be brought under the influence (territory) of the the kingdom of God.
Jesus was not without troubles. He lived his entire life being under the rule of the Roman empire. He was disliked and ridiculed by many people, He dealt with being misunderstood and others lying about the words that He said. On more than one occasion the crowds picked up rocks to stone him. Eventually, He endured all of the beatings and atrocities of the crucifixion.
How did Jesus handle the stress? He withdrew often to connect with His Father through prayer. Jesus lived with the presence of peace of the kingdom of God in the middle of a world of turmoil. He drew strength from the kingdom of God to navigate the perils of earth. Within the confines of this physical earth, God gave him the strength of the qualities of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus lived His life breathing the atmosphere of the heavenly kingdom as a man, not from His divinity.
When you ask God to “bring you out of your distress”, He may quiet all of the noise that is coming against you, but sometimes the problems don’t stop immediately. He will, however, show you a way forward, even when all of the troubles appear to remain. He will grant you a peace that does not come from this world. He will connect with your spirit to let you know that He is there and will not leave you in the middle of the mire.
God will bring all that is good and right from the kingdom of Heaven to give you access to it, that which is yours as one of His children. You will be physically present in the world, while drawing from the resources of the kingdom of Heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit. You have the freedom to breathe the atmosphere of His love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, kindness and even self-control, while standing in the middle of your mess.
May you be comforted today knowing that God brings you out of your distress and let’s you breathe from the atmosphere of His kingdom of Heaven.
Blessings love y’all