In Psalm 119:74 the Psalmist prays: “May those who fear You see me and be glad, because I wait for Your word.” He gives a needed reminder to those of us who are undergoing trials: We are not the only ones concerned with what happens to us.

As the poet wrote: “No man is an island.” Other people are watching, and are either encouraged and challenged, or else discouraged and dismayed by what they see happening to us, and how we respond to what is going on. We need to remember this as we speak to others about our difficulties, as we write on social media, etc. What we say is a witness to others, either for good or bad. This verse should also encourage us as well, for as we put our hope in God, we can have confidence that He will indeed deliver us, because He knows that others are watching, and that they will be encouraged in their faith when they see how He deals with us. OUR responsibility, however, is to be faithful in the interim, that “those who fear You (will) see me and be glad, because I wait for Your word.”