“I am carried away by anger
for my foes forget your word.
Your promise is tried in the fire,
the delight of your servant. Ps 119:137

Living by faith can be an uncomfortable and vulnerable state. It is easy to become angry with a seemingly silent God standing by while injustice and suffering continue.

The psalmist is being honest and so must we. It is okay to express our anger with God, but once the emotion is vented we must shift to the real crux of the issue which is God’s promise. If God is truly faithful and just, then its His own promise that is being tried by fire within our hearts.

Every time we face a set back or failure or injustice, we have a choice to remain angry, as if we are supposed to be in control, or we let go and lean into the unshakable covenant promises of God. We can’t solve the worlds problems but we can trust in God.

The Servant who can cling to Gods promise as he goes through this fire experiences the simple “delight” of being a servant of the most high. He can’t avoid the fire because he is in Love and he lives in the world, and yet as he learns not to lean on his own strength or his own understanding and he discovers a liberating joy amidst the fire.