From Despair to Hope

⁶ In my distress I cried out to the LORD; I called to my God for help. God heard my voice from his temple; I called to him for help, and my call reached his ears. ⁷ The earth rocked and shook; the bases of the mountains trembled and reeled because of God’s anger. ⁸ Smoke went up from God’s nostrils; out of his mouth came a devouring fire; flaming coals blazed out in front of him! ⁹ God parted the skies and came down; thick darkness was beneath his feet. ¹⁰ God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ God made darkness cloak him; his covering was dark water and dense cloud. ¹² God’s clouds went ahead of the brightness before him; hail and coals of fire went too. ¹³ The LORD thundered in heaven; the Most High made his voice heard with hail and coals of fire. ¹⁴ God shot his arrows, scattering the enemy; he sent the lightning and threw them into confusion. ¹⁵ The seabeds were exposed; the earth’s foundations were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the angry blast of air coming from your nostrils. ¹⁶ From on high God reached down and grabbed me; he took me out of all that water. ¹⁷ God saved me from my powerful enemy, saved me from my foes, who were too much for me. ¹⁸ They came at me on the very day of my distress, but the LORD was my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out to wide-open spaces; he pulled me out safe because he is pleased with me.