Psalm 118

The message of this Psalm for today is trust and its part in feeling joy. Without trust, we cannot experience joy in God.
For people who have suffered abuse. For people who have lived through wars. For people who have suffered as refugees. For people subjected to racism. For all these people and more, trust is an issue. 
How do you trust God when the world has not been a place you could trust in?
How do you trust God when the people you should trust in have been untrustworthy?
How do you trust God if the only example of a father in your life was an abuser who you could not trust?
I love the way this Psalm starts and ends with the same words. Thank God because His love never quits.
Just in case you may laugh derisively at that. “Yeah right. Well God has never supported me!” I agree. When I was abused at home and bullied at school and had nowhere safe to go, where was God? 
Reading further through the Psalm, the psalmist (presumably David) tells how he was in a terrible place. There was nowhere safe. He was hounded and in danger. His “back was to the wall”. He had nowhere else to go. There was nowhere to be safe. 
Why should he trust God? What was God doing to help him? 
The psalmist said he called out to God and God stood by him. When God stood by him he was no longer afraid. Things turned out well. His enemies did not succeed against him. He survived to live another day.
I know that many people who suffered the abuse I did have developed mental health issues that are crippling to their adult lives. I didn’t. 
I have trauma and sometimes it gets in the way, but I am able to lead a healthy life. 
I know that is because of God and I am so grateful. He didn’t stop the abuse all the time. Maybe he stopped it sometimes. I don’t know how much abuse I would have suffered if God had not been there. I know I still endured abuse at home and devastating bullying at school. 
I know I am disconnected from my siblings because of the toxic behaviour my parents taught them. 
I know that others like me ended up in abusive relationships. I know that God gave me a wonderful husband who has helped me learn to have a secure attachment to another person and be able to parent effectively and develop healthy friendships. 
I know that God has given me many gifts including the gifts of writing and healing. 
I know that God has been with me in my darkest moments as my comforter and protector.
It hasn’t been an easy path and it won’t be in the future. But I know that I am growing in my knowledge of and faith in God because I am on this path and He helps me.
I know I struggle with trust. Big time. 
I know God has shown again and again that He is trustworthy but I still question Him and struggle to trust Him.
I know God is patient and understanding. 
I know that I am slowly learning to trust and am grateful.
I thank God because He never quits.
He never quits loving us.
He never quits hearing our cry for help.
He never quits being patient with us when we hold back from trusting Him.
He never quits helping us in ways we cannot always see.
God never quits.