I Belong to You, the Just One Who Cares

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.  ​Psalms 73:21-26 NLT 

So many things in life feel painful right now. The news is full of war and murder. Work has its stressors. Nothing feels simple and straightforward in life. I empathize with the Psalmist saying he is torn up inside and bitter.  

But still God owns me. I belong to him. He is the strength in our hearts.  

How do we reconcile these two feelings? 

Life is hard and sad, and we mourn. We lament. We turn to God to talk through these feelings and anger at the injustice in the world. He listens and we can feel heard by the One who created the standard for justice. He calls us his own and cares about what we are sad about.  

Reflect: Where do you see injustice in the world today? How do you feel about it? How does God feel about it?  

What does God want you to do about it—call a friend? Call a representative? Pray? Give?  

Prayer: God, thank you that we belong to you. You are the creator of emotions and the feelings of anger or sadness in our hearts when we see others treated poorly. Let us bring to you our bitterness and torn up hearts for you to mend. Guide our actions and responses to the news this week. Amen. 

May you feel God’s presence with you,  Sarah Visser-Kincaid