[Written in 2014] Today’s reading in the book EDIFIED! [below] is very relevant to us as my little wife continues to live under a weight of multiple negative symptoms without any clear diagnosis or relief in sight. Is this simple depression, or chronic Lyme’s Disease, or something else? [And the same is true iiom,2024] No one knows for certain what is wrong and thus far nothing has helped.

But, in the midst of this we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for He is the one who does know and will both give grace to pass through it and, at the right time, bring relief. Here is the perspective we must have: “Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’” Psalm 118:4

Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are my Shepherd, that we can know that whatever comes, you have led us into it, as you led your disciples into the storm on the lake, into the opposition of the crowd, into the pain of your death. You have the larger picture, so we can trust and follow you as you walk with us into the future.

Psalm 118:5-9 says, “In my anguish I cried to the LORD….” This is the proper response to any situation, going right to you, O God, fleeing from self-pity, worry, fretting and anger to embrace your goodness, wisdom and love.

You will respond to our prayer: “In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:7). And your answer begins inside: “I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). “In my anguish I cried out to the Lord and he answered by setting me free” (Ps. 118:5).

You, Lord God, are the Freedom-giver—freedom from eternal death, from punishment, from condemnation, from selfishness and Satan, as well as from fretting and fear, being controlled by problems and difficulties. You are always at work to set us free on a deeper level, in a higher way from things that bind us.

Praise be to you for your wisdom, your insight, your understanding. You operate with full knowledge, correctly certain of which thing to work on next, which enemy to defeat, which sin to reveal, which character lack to camp out on until we respond to your correction.

You don’t guess and fumble about in life as we do; you know exactly what is wrong and you know exactly how to deal with it, for you are the Creator, the Healer and the Freedom-bringer. Help us to follow you, praising you in and for all things, knowing that you have a plan and will carry us through in one way or another.