My Refuge

Psalm 142

I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
² I pour out before him my complaint;    before him I tell my trouble.

³ When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴ Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
    no one cares for my life.

⁵ I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”

⁶ Listen to my cry,
    for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Set me free from my prison,
    that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.

So as you read the above verses you can guess the kind of week I have had. It's been crazy. Hurtful words ached my heart and I am emotionally exhausted. I have cried a lot and wondered what truth God will reveal within all the chaos. As my son has continued to disobey (revealing how short my patience is) and rebel with his mouth, I am reminded that it is only by HIS Word and Spirit that true peace is obtained.

My husband encouraged me to read these verses and I felt the presence of the Lord as I read it. It reminded me I am not alone and that HE sees it all. How HE desires for me to "cry aloud for mercy" and that the "righteous will gather about me" because of HIS goodness. As I walked through a tough week the Lord sent his mercy my way with sweet encouragement from friends.

Have you "cried aloud" to the Lord for "mercy" in your crazy moments this season?

Have you allowed the Lord to be a "refuge" through tough times as you parent?