I’m grateful for the privilege to have participated in the 2019 Lenten Devotional published by Princeton Theological Seminary. As I reflected on Psalm 118:1-9, I was reminded of God’s grace and how He kept me through some difficult times. I hope my submission below encourages you.
There were times in my life when I cried out to the Lord “out of my distress.” Each time I was a blubbering mess in a state of anguish because, essentially, I felt threatened. There was something attempting to choke the life out of my hopes, dreams, and plans. Once it was a stifling fear, another time I didn’t handle a life transition very well and other times there were circumstances that seemed to suffocate my soul.
In all of God’s sovereignty, God still listens to us when we call out – and God responds!
Nicole Pride
In each case, I felt stuck. There was no room for my imagination – my vision and ideas were way too big for my limited time, resources, and lifestyle. In one of my frustrated and pitiful moments, I remember feeling like there was a cruel joke being played on me. But there wasn’t. The temptation was to linger in a state of regret over missed opportunities or be convinced there was no pathway to moving forward.
I thank God for grace. God’s Word (and the ability to believe in it!) was the pathway to my “broad place”. In all of God’s sovereignty, God still listens to us when we call out – and God responds! God was teaching me to be patient, enjoy the journey and trust God to redeem the time. I first learned to experience joy in my existing circumstances. As I experienced freedom just where I was, God began to open new doors that allowed my spirit to dance.