Chuck Larsen

In own words, this is what Psalm 63 brings to mind. I often find myself wandering in a spiritual desert, a barren “wasteland” while indulging in everything this world claims will satisfy. I chase after pleasure, possessions, and prestige, believing each new experience will bring fulfillment. Yet the truth is painfully familiar: every time I secure another thrill, a shinier toy, or a higher position, I am still hungry. The world can feed my senses, but it never feeds my soul. There remains within me an ache nothing on earth can quiet. I may laugh, celebrate, and appear content on the outside, yet a whisper inside keeps reminding me that something essential is still missing. I am hungry for love, hungry for purpose, hungry for truth—hungry through and through.

Then, weary from wandering in circles, I turn to God. I step inside a place of worship with other believers, and something begins to change. As voices rise in praise, my heart awakens. As I listen to the Word of God proclaimed, I begin to think seriously, deeply, about what He has to say to me personally. I find myself opening up to His voice, letting His truth seep into the dry cracks of my soul. And suddenly, that dull ache inside—the hunger I could never satisfy with all the world’s offerings—begins to fade. But fade is too mild a word. Those pains of hunger do not just diminish; they disappear. The experience is rich, nourishing, overwhelming. It is like eating “my fill of prime rib and gravy. I smack my lips!” The Psalmist captured that feeling long before I ever lived it—God does not just feed me; He fills me. He satisfies me more deeply than I imagined possible.

He invites me not merely to taste, but to feast—fully, freely, and daily. “Dine on Him,” for nothing else will do. The soul was not designed to thrive on temporary thrills or shallow applause; it was made for God. In a world that leaves countless lives scorched by disappointment and thirsting for meaning, He remains the only true source of satisfaction. In a parched and weary land where hearts wander in search of something real, He offers living water for every thirst and the bread of life for every hunger. He does not ration His goodness. He gives abundantly, generously, joyfully. So come hungry, come thirsty—but do not go elsewhere. Come to Him. He will satisfy your soul as nothing else ever can.

Daily life is full of unexpected dangers. We wake up each morning never fully knowing what trials, temptations, or troubles may come our way. The psalmist understood this reality well, yet he found security—not in circumstances—but in God. In Psalm 61 he sings, “Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” That beautiful image paints God as a place of safety, protection, and peace. When fear rose, he didn’t run to people—he ran to God. When uncertainty threatened his heart, he found stability by staying close to the One who never changes. He learned a powerful truth: peace is not found in the absence of danger—but in the presence of God.

Jesus used that same image when He looked over Jerusalem with a broken heart. He cried out, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34). What a picture of divine love! Jesus wants to protect, shelter, and care for us—but many still refuse His invitation. The tragedy then—and now—is that people choose fear over faith, independence over surrender, and danger over divine protection.

More than a thousand years after David, a man named William Cushing discovered the comfort of God’s wings in his own life. Cushing had been a pastor, but illness stole his voice and with it, his ministry. Discouraged and broken, he cried out to God—and God answered in an unexpected way. Though he could no longer preach, God gave him the gift of writing. Cushing went on to write over 300 gospel hymns that have encouraged believers for more than a century. One of his best-loved hymns echoes the psalmist’s cry:

Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him—I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort and there I am blest.

Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

God sometimes allows His people to experience deep struggle and painful seasons of defeat. There are moments in life when the enemy seems to be winning—when circumstances turn against us, prayers seem unanswered, and hope grows thin. Even Israel, God’s chosen nation, went through times when their enemies triumphed over them. But those moments were never the end of the story. God always had a plan. Just when everything seemed lost—at the very last moment—He would step in with power and rescue. Psalm 60 describes it this way: “Then you planted a flag to rally your people, an unfurled flag to look to for courage.” When God raises His banner, strength returns, courage rises, and victory begins. It’s God’s way of saying, “Hold on—I’m still here.”

Like the sound of cavalry trumpets in old westerns, God charges into battle right on time. Not only does He rescue His people, but He also regains lost ground and reverses the tide of defeat. He turns retreat into advance and despair into triumph. That is why we must resist the temptation to look for help in the wrong places. Psalm 60 reminds us not to trust human strength, political power, or our own plans. When the battle is fiercest and everything inside of us wants to panic, that’s when we must do the opposite—trust God more, not less. He knows exactly what He’s doing, and He will never abandon those who trust in Him.

So when people fail you—trust God. When circumstances fall apart—trust God. When life feels like a losing battle—trust God. Keep your ear open for the trumpet of His deliverance. Keep your eyes lifted for the banner of His love and power. It will come—just in time. Victory may not come early, but it will always come at the right moment—His moment. And when He appears, He doesn’t stand back and observe—He steps forward and leads the charge Himself. He looks us straight in the eye and asks, “Who will take me to the thick of the fight?” God is not afraid of the battlefield—He enters it. And when He does, victory is sure.

So don’t give up. Don’t run. Don’t try to fight alone. Stand still—and watch for God’s banner. The battle belongs to Him!

Psalm 57 instructs on how to respond to trials. When trouble comes—because it always does—I run to God for safety and protection. He is my refuge, my hiding place, my shelter in life’s storms. I hide myself in Him until the danger passes, until the fear settles, until my soul is steady again. And while I am with Him, I pour out my heart. I don’t hold anything back. I tell Him my fears, my frustrations, my hurts, my confusion—everything. And He listens. He doesn’t turn away. He doesn’t grow tired of hearing my voice. He loves me enough to let me speak freely, and when I ask Him for help, He steps in. He rescues me. He fights for me. He protects me from whatever enemy or problem stands in my way. I bring my troubles to “God, who fulfills His purpose for me.” He won’t let anyone—or anything—interfere with His plan for my life. Just as Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, His “plans for us are for good, not for bad, plans that give us hope and a future.”

It seems I am always facing some kind of battle. Trouble has a way of finding me—difficult people, painful circumstances, unexpected storms. There are times when it feels like someone, somewhere, is doing everything they can to push me aside, tear me down, or wear me out. But God never lets them win. He stands between me and my enemies. He is my defender. Because of that, “my heart is quiet and confident.” The world may shake, but my soul stands firm. And so, I start my days with Him. Before the noise, before the demands, before the distractions—I seek Him. I rise early to worship Him, to thank Him, to lean into His presence. “I will awake the dawn,” the psalmist says, and I feel the same way. I greet the morning by declaring His goodness, singing of His faithfulness, and trusting in His love. When I start my day with God, I find strength for whatever comes, courage for whatever I face, and peace for whatever tries to disturb me.

So, my friends, don’t wait until life collapses before turning to God. Don’t try to carry the weight alone. Don’t fight battles in your own strength. Do what David did—run to God. Trust Him. Hide in His presence. He has a purpose for your life, and He will fulfill it. Nothing can stop what God has started—not fear, not people, not problems, not even your past. As James tells us, “Draw close to the Lord and He will draw close to you.” Come near to Him today—He’s already reaching for you.

David knew what fear felt like. In Psalm 56, he is living in exile, surrounded by enemies on every side. This is the same David who once stood boldly before Goliath, yet now he admits his fear openly. His words go back to around 1000 BC, but they still speak powerfully today. In verse 3 he says, “When I am afraid…” Notice he doesn’t say if I am afraid—but when. Even heroes of faith face fear. Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s responding to fear with faith. David goes on to show us how: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” Fear may come knocking—but faith answers the door.

Dwight L. Moody loved Psalm 56:3, but he also compared it with another powerful verse—Isaiah 12:2: “I will trust and not be afraid.” Moody said, “You can travel to heaven first class or second class. Second class is Psalm 56:3—‘When I am afraid, I will trust in God.’ First class is Isaiah 12:2—‘I will trust and not be afraid.’ Why not buy a first-class ticket?” Whether you feel fear first and then trust, or your trust is so strong fear never takes hold—either way, faith is the victory that overcomes fear. Faith flies—fear only waddles and hesitates.

And that reminds us of Tony Campolo’s story about the ducks: Every Sunday, the ducks in Ducktown waddled out of their houses down Main Street to their duck church. They waddled into their pews, and the duck choir waddled into place. Then the duck minister opened the duck Bible and preached: “Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings, you can fly! With wings, you can soar like eagles! No walls can confine you! No fences can hold you! You have wings—God has given you wings—and you can fly!” All the ducks shouted, “Amen!” And when the service was over…they all waddled home.

That’s us sometimes, isn’t it? We hear God’s promises. We believe His Word. We even say, “Amen!”—yet we still live in fear instead of faith. David shows us a better way. When fear comes—trust God. When danger threatens—trust God. When life feels overwhelming—trust God. Faith doesn’t deny fear—but it defeats it. God has given you wings. So don’t just believe—fly!