Get Me Out of Here!

My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Psalm 31:10

How's that for an uplifting bit of scripture?
The previous few days have been like it. And it's going to stay this way for a few more.
I am going through Psalm 31 right now - one verse at a time, one day at a time. A few years ago, when I first started going through the Psalms this way I saw it as a spiritual discipline - as in "activity." Today I am thinking of "discipline" more along the lines of unpleasant work through which one must go for the greater good.
I truly must discipline myself to stay with the verse of the day. I know "better" words are coming and I sooooo want to skip past the current ones to get to the verses that talk about God's goodness, His faithfulness, and our deliverance.
Can you blame me?
Anyone else want to meditate on being consumed with anguish and grief for a whole week???
But today as I sat and thought about how I was feeling -
*trapped
*sorrowful
*desperate to move on
*knowing there is something better to come, but held in the moment of anguish
- God's Spirit spoke to my heart. I realized there are so many times I am in a situation which is difficult and the only thing I can think about is getting out of it. In those moments I do feel trapped and desperate and powerless.
And I thought about people I know right now who are feeling trapped and desperate and powerless. People who are dealing with cancer. Death. Depression. Relational strife. Economic struggles.
I thought about the fact that when we're in these situations - and we know who God is - we are desperate for the better times to come. We want to skip past the next few "verses" and get quickly to the part about God's goodness and faithfulness, and our deliverance. We know God can do it, and we want to see it right now.
Then it was as if He said to me, But Karen, I am good and I am faithful right now. And deliverance will come.

God then reminded me of what He had said before. I referred back to verse seven several times.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. Psalm 31:7

God used those words to assure me of His presence in our pain. He knows the anguish of my soul. He is that close!!!
When I am feeling trapped and desperate and powerless, when I just want to scream, "Get me out of here!" God is reminding me that He is here. He will hold me through the next few verses until we get to the part about deliverance.
And even then, He won't let me go.

My friend, if today you are longing to skip the next few verses, please hold on a little tighter to our God.
He is good and He is faithful right now. And deliverance will come.