November 27, 2023

Psalm 62: 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (NIV)

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.*

I had to learn how to pour out my heart to God. For some of you, maybe it just comes natural but not for me. I was constrained by two self-imposed rules: 1) try really hard to only want you should want; and 2) don’t be mad or sad or glad unless God approves. Seriously . . . if you are in this boat with me . . . what do we need God for if we’re going to be all perfect before we go to him with our troubled hearts?

In this verse, David points out the key to pouring out your heart to God: trust in him at all times. You see, I didn’t trust God to still love me if I wanted or felt the wrong things. With practice, I learned how to honestly express my wants and feelings to God. The tool I used (and still do) is journaling. Through writing my prayers, I have come to understand this: no matter how selfish my wants, no matter how twisted my feelings, God will help me work through them and purify them. He doesn’t shame me or burden me with guilt. He loves me and loves to help me overcome. Journaling may not be the spiritual discipline for you but I urge you to look for a strategy that fits you.

God wants to be your refuge. He welcomes you to the safety zone where you can trust that he won’t reject you for your unworthy desires or feelings. When you pour out your heart to him, you are not revealing anything he doesn’t already know – but you just might uncover things you didn’t know about yourself. Self-awareness can lead to repentance and transformation. Big benefits for a little bit of trust!

David’s rigorous honesty reveals that journaling is a place to pour out our anguish, think the unthinkable, and presume to know what’s best. In the safe haven of being able to make such outlandish statements, we stumble across our true motives, feelings, and desires.*