Pamela Polanco shares devotional thoughts with us this week. You may learn more about her on the contributors page.

After reading Psalm 94 recently, I realized that I —unlike the psalmist— sometimes struggle to make sense of my circumstances or the world around me. I have wondered, “Why am I going through this trial?” “Why are we  surrounded by so much evil?” “When will it all end?” You see, these questions exist even if I don’t voice them. They are a constant reminder that my mind is feeble and my reasoning limited, and that’s why I need God. I need the Lord so that, in Him, my worries can find an end. 

Psalm 94:19 says, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” If we take a few minutes to read the previous verses, we can see that the psalmist’s mind exhibited a deep trust in God while contemplating the state of his people. His trust was so profound that, in verse 1, he requested God to act immediately –to stop evil and avenge the just. Even in his petition, the psalmist didn’t know when or how God would intervene to judge the wicked, but he trusted that God would act on behalf of the righteous. The psalmist’s joy and confidence came from knowing God in spite of the circumstances. 

Reasonably, we could say that knowing and trusting God are deeply related. In the text, we can see that knowing God means trusting that no human experience escapes His watchful eye (V.9); Knowing God means trusting that He would not forsake His people (V.14); Knowing God means trusting that no evil can surpass His power (V.16); Knowing God means trusting His nature (V.18). In short, Knowing God involves trusting Him.

When we know God, our questions become irrelevant. To put it simply, we arrive at a state where we trust that He is God and, therefore, enough. As a dear mentor said during a lecture, “Knowing God is better than having answers.” The answers no longer matter because our understanding of God is enough to calm our thoughts when life is overwhelmingly difficult. 

When we know God, we trust Him despite what comes our way. We trust His Word. We trust His person and character. We trust that He will work all things for our good (however He sees fit). We trust by faith that He will never fail us, and in that trust, our fears end. It is then that His “comforts” delight our soul. 

Certainly, it is the knowledge of God that soothes our worries and gives us joy amid trials. So, no matter how troubling life seems to be or how puzzling our situation might be, our worries end when we acknowledge that God is greater than our circumstances.