Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; in You I take shelter. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. Psalm 143:9, 11 (NKJV)

Are you ever overwhelmed? Do you feel like you have too much to do, or are buried under a weight, or completely defeated? I know I sometimes feel that way.

David was overwhelmed by the persecution of his enemy. He knew his only refuge was in God. In Psalm 143, David sought the Lord.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness…For the enemy has persecuted my soul… Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed. …Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Psalm 143:1, 3a, 4, 7 (NKJV)

David knew his shelter was in God. The Lord acts in His righteousness and His reputation is on the line as He deals with us.

David didn’t just pray for deliverance. He also remembered what the Lord had done in the past. That is a good tool for us as well. When we remember what God has done, it helps us to remember His faithfulness will also be shown in our current situation.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah. Psalm 143:5– 6 (NKJV)

Like David, we can ask the Lord to teach us and help us to hear Him.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalm 143:8 (NKJV)

When we feel overwhelmed, God helps us knock down those blocks of stress and anxiety, and He rescues us. Let’s follow David’s example.

Let’s flee to our refuge, for the Lord is trustworthy. Let’s confess any sin that blocks our time with God. The Holy Spirit will reveal sin to us. Let’s dig into Scripture that reminds us of God’s faithfulness. Posting those verses can give us a quick reminder as we go through our day. When we journal what God has done, it records how God acts in our lives and makes an easy way to go back and remember His faithfulness and lovingkindness to us. Finally, may we be quick to learn the teaching He gives us so we can do His will, as David expressed in the verse I’m using for prayer, below.

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Psalm 143:10 (NKJV). Amen.

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Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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His Broken Treasure is a 31-Day companion devotional to the historical romance novel Murmur in the Mud Caves by Kathleen Denly.

We’ve all felt broken or unvalued at times, but His Broken Treasure helps take readers deeper into the themes of Kathleen Denly’s Murmur in the Mud Caves and remind them how treasured they are by the One who matters most. Designed to allow concurrent reading with Murmur in the Mud Caves, each section of His Broken Treasure is labeled with the chapter of the novel that it addresses. Reading this devotional will help you more easily recognize the beauty in God’s broken treasures.

Both books are available in paperback and e-book formats at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other vendors.

#ChaparralHearts http://www.KathleenDenly.com