Grace and peace, church family. I pray this finds you well.

In my daily Bible reading this past week, I came across Psalm 31:9-18. It’s one of those passages where David pulls back the curtain on the weight of being a leader. The first portion of the Psalm is real, honest and raw. David speaks candidly about distress, grief, enemies and even feeling forgotten. The language is vivid enough that you can almost feel the pressure he is under.

Perhaps you’ve been there; carrying the quiet weight of responsibility, navigating a difficult season of work, walking through uncertain times with your family, or simply feeling worn down by the constant noise of a broken world.

Yet, in verse 14, everything shifts with a single word: “But…”

“But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.”

That small word marks a turning point. David does not deny the reality of his circumstances. He simply refuses to let them have the final word.

He moves from distress to declaration:

• “My times are in your hands.”
• “Deliver me.”
• “Let your face shine on your servant.”

It’s easy in our world to list everything that feels heavy or broken. The headlines and the pressures and uncertainties of life — those things are very real. Scripture gives us permission to lament, lest we forget the Book of Lamentations is part of God’s Word.

But the Psalm also reminds us not to stop there.

At some point, every honest lament needs a faithful turn.

A “But…”

• But I trust in you.
• But God is near.
• But my times are in your hands.

May that small word shape our prayers this week and in the weeks ahead.