Meet Ariana Arevalo

Has there been a time when the heaviness of this world and the bondage of sin brought a burden of despair, pain, and hopelessness into your life? Did you try to face it on your own? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you’re not alone.

Last year, I was battling a season of depression. The weight of this world became too much for me to bear; I tried to fill my void with alcohol and pornography. I wrongly believed I was capable of fighting this war alone. In time, just like the psalmist, God revealed to me that I could not control my sin . . . my human desire (verses 67a, 75b). When God reveals to you the bondage of your sin, to whom do you run? Are you crying out to God for forgiveness and strength? Do you "weep with sorrow" because of your sin and then turn to His Word for encouragement (verse 28)? Or are you depending on yourself to fight this war?

When the psalmist cries out to God to remove false ways from him (verse 29), he implies a lifestyle of deception. Satan will deceive you to lead you away from God, which is why the psalmist then cries out for God to teach him the knowledge of His law. He’s asking God to give him the opportunity to know it, to guide him to live by it, and to be obedient to it, which is the way of faithfulness. Obedience is frequently a prerequisite to God's blessing and the pathway out of the clutches of deception. How will He guide us out of deception if we are not willing to “[choose] the way of faithfulness”—obedience (verse 30) and “cling to [His] testimonies”—dependence (verse 31)?

Instead of clinging to the things of this world, we can, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, make the bold move of running to His Word in total dependence on Him (verse 32). When we depend on it, God’s Word guides us through our afflictions into life (verses 25). And when we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). This is His promise in Christ Jesus our Lord!