A Servant in Need - The Wesleyan Church

So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. (Ps. 143:4)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 143:1-4, 7-12

Toward the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo the hobbit is on an important mission to destroy the ring of power. The journey has been long and difficult and fraught with danger. He has sustained an injury from which he will never heal, and it seems that the most difficult part of the journey is still ahead. At one point, before commencing on the final and most dangerous part of the mission, he laments, “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”

In Psalm 143, David was also feeling crushed under the weight of his situation. His enemy was pursuing him, and he described his circumstance as very dark. Difficult seasons in life take an immense toll emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Perhaps you or someone you love is in a difficult season right now. Like Frodo, you might wish the situation or circumstance was different. Like David, your spirit has grown faint and you find yourself with a sense of deep despair.

Frodo was willing to express his feelings in a moment of desperation to his companion Gandalf. David was comfortable taking his complaints to God. God desires to hear your concerns, to answer your prayers, and to meet your needs. You are invited to bring your complaints before God today.

Take your situation to God, no matter how difficult it is.

Branden Petersen is the cofounder/pastor of Resurrection Life NYC in Manhattan with his wife, Jenn. He is also the founder and director of the urban church planting network, Global Cities Network.