When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.

Psalm 118:5-14

Wisdom welcomes us to find our confidence in our Creator. When fear would paralyze us, trusting God can empower us. Fear and unbelief can direct us away from this trust and consequently, away from God. This is not an activity solely for private reflection. We must find others who can encourage us and whom we can also encourage.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Hebrews 3:12-14

Sin has a way of deceiving us. Once deceived, our heart hardens, and we grow callous to the hope that would otherwise sustain us. Our confidence and our courage belong in the eternal rather than the temporal.

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Reflection

• Where is the first place we go when we feel “hard pressed”?
• Which people often intimidate us?
• Have people you trusted in ever let you down? If so, what did you learn from this?
• What hope do you find when you feel unjustly outnumbered?
• Who or what influences you to turn away from God?
• Who or what influences you to turn to God?
• How much time do you spend focused on these different influences?
• Where would you like to place your confidence today?