“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.” (Psalm 5:11)

Sometimes the stress and struggles of life take their toll on our emotions and on our outlook. We never intend for it to happen, but gradually, our sense of joy is washed away in a sea of demands and conflicts. King David experienced the pressures of leadership, but even in the middle of these pressures, he found joy in his relationship with God.

In Psalm 5, King David reports that he endured the lies of bloodthirsty and deceitful men who made themselves his enemies. He couldn’t trust them, but he realizes he could put his life in the hands of a good and kind God who loved him.

To Kind David, God wasn’t just a cosmic principle or a distant deity to be worshiped during certain times of the week in order to conform his life to a religious pattern. For him, God was a person, a wonderful, trustworthy person he could delight in. King David deeply appreciated God’s deliverance and His wisdom. In response to God’s personal intervention and care, King David voiced the response of all believers who are thrilled with God.

Our task is to turn our struggles into steps toward God instead of away from Him. We all experience difficulties in life, but if we turn our gaze towards God, well find Him to be a rock we can stand on in those times of stress. When we realize that He genuinely cares, we, too, will shout for joy.