We live in troublesome times which often leave us emotionally spent. Non-believers and believers alike have called out to God, “Help!” When that happens again and again, we resonate with David and other psalm-writers who question at various times, “How long, O Lord?”
The reality is that we live in a broken, sinful, chaotic world that will always be racked by rebellion and evil. “How long” may end up being very long, indeed. But we can hold onto the truth from Psalm 94 that for each anxiety we have, the Lord provides a consolation. Think about that! No matter what is troubling you deep in your heart, He has consoled you and promises to never leave you.
“For the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12b). He is both Shepherd and Shield. He is “the One who goes before, guiding into the future, and the One who goes behind, gathering up our debris, our failures, and our poor attempts at ministry, blessing us and leaving a blessing behind us for others” (Robert J. Morgan, 2001).