If at first . . .

 

You know the refrain . . . try, try again!

Your grandma probably repeated that to you, just as mine repeated it to me.

Keep trying.

Hang in there.

Don't give up.

Like the regulator on the pressure cooker, jiggling back and forth, our determination and our trust will sometimes be stronger, but sometimes be weaker.

We must actively, continually trust in our Father during our times of stress.

Like in the psalm that helped us with fear, this psalm tells us that our response to a situation is not automatic. We are not automatons. We cannot flip a switch and never have a problem again.

David writes about this in his psalm. He gives ringing affirmations of his trust in God. He talks about how God is a rock and a fortress. But he also (verses 8-13) plunges into the depths of despair, only to emerge in verse fourteen with strong faith: 

But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.” (verse 14)

When we read this psalm we see the continuing fight to keep the faith in the midst of David's severe trial. We also see David express disappointment (verse 6) in those who turn to idols. Does this even apply to our lives today? Yes! Many Christians, even long-time believers, who profess to follow God, turn to worldly solutions for their stress. Instead of "walking the walk," they "talk the talk" of following God in the good times -- when the bad times hit, they turn to other possible solutions for their situation. It does seem incredible how quickly we can forget our Father Creator - so many of us are dealing with pressure, but how many of us simply trust Him and commit our lives into His hands?

Remember our analogy, the pressure cooker? That regulator fulfills an important role; as the cooker needs to release steam, we can gently vent the cooker by tilting the "jiggler" to one side. Now, we don't want to just pull it off, and let the steam pour out, unobstructed, all at once! (That actually can cause problems in your food product that you are cooking!)

Letting off steam like that can cause problems in our lives and relationships, too. Venting our feelings of stress and pressure on people around us? Oy vey. Not good.

A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back. (Proverbs 29:11, ESV)

It's so easy when we are under pressure to let it out and it can hurt others! Words can harm just as easily as wounds. We must ask for God's strength and trust Him to supply it. We also should ask for the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and the words we should say. (If we have already allowed the pressure to vent, we need to ask God's forgiveness, and also ask the person whom we hurt to forgive us, as well.)

David had success as he trusted God. He knew personally how trust in Him could alleviate the pressure he was under. So many verses in our psalm are praise verses! 

How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you. (v 19)

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege. (v 21)

David's praise doesn't necessarily mean that the battle is over. Instead, he has found the strength he needs as he trusts in God. There's nothing in the psalm that indicates the circumstances have changed! The truth of the matter is that David has found the strength faith gives as he has taken refuge in God.

When we begin to rely on God, we must expect assaults from Satan. If we calmly commit ourselves to God's protection, and rely on the firmness and strength that He will provide, we can stand up to the pressure of our circumstances. We can have two kinds of pressure relief - we can "pop off" and be hurtful to those around us, or we can "vent" by expressing our praise to God for His strength and His faithfulness!