When I Am Slipping
Scripture
“Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
—Psalm 94:16–19 (NLT)
Psalm 94 gives us a window into the heart of God and the desperate cries of His people. The psalmist knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed, attacked, and on the edge of despair. “Who will protect me? Who will stand up for me?” His answer is simple yet profound: the Lord our God.
Without God’s help, the psalmist admits he would have been lost, silenced in the grave. But when he cried out, “I am slipping,” God’s unfailing love held him up. That same love still steadies us when our footing feels uncertain and our strength gives way.
Even when doubts clouded his mind, the psalmist experienced God’s comfort breaking through with hope and joy.
“The word comfort is from two Latin words meaning ‘with’ and ‘strong,’ He is with us to make us strong. Comfort is not soft, weakening commiseration; it is true, strengthening love.”¹
—Amy Carmichael, Candles in the Dark
That’s exactly what the psalmist experienced. God’s comfort didn’t just soothe him, it strengthened him. He doesn’t just rescue us from danger, He renews our spirit. The joy of the Lord truly becomes our strength, and His presence restores us when life feels heavy.
This psalm reminds us that God’s love is relentless. He is not distant or indifferent but near and active, upholding His children in their weakness. Whatever you face today, whether fear, doubt, or weariness, let His unfailing love hold you up the way it held the psalmist, and let His comfort make you strong.
Reflection
- Where in your life do you most feel like saying, “I am slipping”?
- How have you experienced God’s unfailing love supporting you in recent days?
- When doubts arise, what steps can you take to bring them honestly before God and allow His comfort to renew your hope and joy?
Prayer
Thank God for His unfailing love that upholds you when you feel weak and overwhelmed. Ask Him to replace doubt with comfort, fear with courage, and weariness with joy. Praise Him for His grace and mercy that meets us in our time of need.
Footnote:
¹ Amy Carmichael, Candles in the Dark: Letters of Hope and Encouragement (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2010), 56.