Meet Emily Ruth Jones

I have spent much of my life feeling like I was calling to the Lord from the ends of the earth. He seemed so far away, so distant. I wondered where His presence was in my life and where His Spirit was in my heart. I have spent a lifetime doing all of the things a "good Christian" does: being in Bible studies, leading Bible studies, doing youth ministries, going to church, going on mission trips, etc. But there was something missing, a depth of relationship with the One who wants nothing more than that.

David seems desperate in this Psalm. In verse 1 (NIV), he says, "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer." Have you ever felt this way? I know I have! My legalistic approach to Christianity resulted in a shallow relationship with Him and left me desperately asking the Lord to hear my cries and to listen to my prayers. In verse 2, David calls out as his heart grows faint. I have felt this way concerning the Lord a million times. I wish I could say I had some magic formula (remember, I am a math nerd) to fix this situation. But, I don't. Fortunately, He does!

I have spent the last several years starting over in my relationship with the Lord. I've learned to cry out to Him rather than cry in self-pity. I've learned to read His Word because it is life, rather than reading it as an item on a check list. I've learned to hide His Word in my heart so that He can use it to spur me on, rather than memorizing it to look good in front of others. And I have learned to believe His Word rather than the lies of Satan, which left me defeated and hopeless.

Verse 3 refers to the Lord as our "shelter" and "strong tower" that protects us from the enemy. The truth of the matter is that He is our refuge and strong tower if we feel that way or not. I am choosing to believe it. Will you?