Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ 

Recently, I placed a card someone had given me into my Bible, and little did I know then that what I thought was a random placement would lead to a teaching moment from God. A few years ago, our family endured a very difficult time. It was a time of feeling betrayed, a time of financial difficulty, a time of loss, a time of feeling very much like the psalmist when he said, “My heart is faint.” Throughout that time, we did call out to God, and He didn’t leave us or forsake us. He was absolutely faithful. However, very recently, a situation sparked the memory of that time, and I allowed that memory to bring me to a place of rekindled anger and reopening of wounds. I allowed myself to get all in my feelings, and they weren’t good feelings either. When I grabbed my Bible at this time of rekindled anger and hurt, it opened to the place where that card was “randomly placed”. Immediately, I was drawn to where I had highlighted Psalm 61:1-2. I had circled the word “lead” and written “continually conduct me”. I don’t know where I heard that, but God definitely used it to humble me and remind me to be on guard. You see, if I had been on guard, continually allowing God to conduct my thoughts, I likely would not have returned to those feelings of anger, hurt, betrayal. Feelings that led me to thoughts of what I’d like to say or do, things that would not have been of God. 

These verses reminded me that we must be continually following God’s lead at all times. The psalmist was certainly in a difficult time and was rightfully asking for God to lead Him to protection, which is a proper response in those times. My thoughts, though, took me to a self inspection of what it would be like if I continually asked for God to lead me, to be my guide, to be my shelter. Continually following Him would lead me to dwell, not just visit, but to actually dwell or abide in His presence. His presence protects me from getting all in my feelings and allowing the reopening of wounds that He has healed. The enemy uses feelings to get us to stray off the path of following God, to live defeated. We cannot let those feelings dominate. We combat that by allowing God to lead, continually conduct, us, so we can then know the salvation and peace found only in abiding in His presence. Rather than being all in our feelings, let’s be all in our God!