It's always great to read a passage in the Bible that you can really relate to. I think, wow, way back then people needed God's help too! They got discouraged and downhearted; they became worried and anxious. And they went to God for help. Real people like David (expressed through his Psalms) and real people like Paul (in Acts) needed real courage... the kind that comes from God.
Opening Your Eyes to God's Help
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods. [a]
5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced [b] , [c] ;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.
7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll. [d]
8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:1-8)
In this chapter, I notice many surprising and very cool things happening at the same time. Things that seem to be contradictory. Our main character is telling us that 1) he was in a slimy pit (a tight spot, as they might say in Great Britain). But, 2) he was also waiting patiently. And 3) he was singing hymns while he was there! 4) He went to the Lord saying, "Here I am." And now, after the fact, he is 5) recounting the wonders of God and His wonderful plans for us. So in this I see an openness to God's help. He is looking for examples of it, waiting for it, singing of it and praying for it... with not a directive prayer, but an open prayer... "Here I am." This is the kind of prayer that opens us up to what God wants to do in our lives. Too many times I tend to pray, God I'd really like this or that or the other... which requests my will and not His. Instead, the author prays, "Here I am." He acknowledges that God sees Him and will save Him.
This Psalm seems to go out to my love this morning. Brad has been having some difficulty with his data in Brazil, the reason why he needed to go back to Brazil this summer. Something about the times, but I'm not very good with science... so I'm not sure about the specifics. Literally and figuratively, Brad finds himself in that slimy pit right now. And that's the time when it's hardest to wait patiently, have faith, remember God's goodness, sing hymns, and pray. But it is good to remember that David too was in the pit at one time, and he experienced the way God lifted him out of that pit. Praying a prayer that opens us up to the Lord's will, "Here I am," we may be surprised to see God work in wonderful ways... and we will have our own Psalm to write.
Opening Our Hearts to God's Help
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My [g] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:1-8)
Sometimes opening our eyes to what God can do for your life (in the examples of others) is easier than opening up your heart when it is hurting. Last night I watched an episode of "Friends," and they were poking fun at mood swings during pregnancy. A pregnant Phoebe was laughing one moment, and then the next minute she burst into tears, with arms shrugging, "I don't know why."
It all makes sense. God is in control. His will will be done. And we can rest in the peace of the eternal salvation that He gives us, the peace that comes into our hearts when we know him. Sounds great... but, it's hard to override those emotions sometimes. That's what I hear the Psalmist saying here. The self-talk goes like this, "Why are you so downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed in me." Sounds reminiscent of Phoebe's "I don't know why." And the directive... "Put your hope in God." And then in verse 8, "By day the Lord directs his love, by night his song is withing me, a prayer to the God of my life."
While we may sometimes find it difficult to counter our emotions, our feelings, our heart, we can remind ourselves that God's love directed to us every day, his song is always with us and we may pray continually that in spite of moments when we are downcast and we don't even know why, we can put our hope in God.
The Grace of God's Help
21After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." (Acts 27:21-26)
I know that if Ted were doing this section of scripture for a comedy routine, he wouldn't be able to resist poking fun at the way Paul can't resist an "I-told-you-so moment." I guess I should defend the prolific New Testament writer who (I believe unintentionally) caused problems for women entering into 'set apart' ministry. At least he does go on to mention God, so it can be presumed that Paul might be trying to make the point that he knew because God revealed it to him.
All of that aside, it is amazing to see Paul's and God's words for these weary travelers who didn't heed the warning. The capsizing threat was at fluorescent red, but somehow they made it through Naval Security and forged ahead. Those who read my reflections with some frequency know that I've always been praying for discernment in a call to ministry and what kind. Here is an example of what I believe. God says, "You must stand trial before Caesar" and in spite of any high waters or capsizing, it will happen. No weather can get in the way of the one who created the weather. Nothing can get in the way of the one who created all things. When we remember what God says to Paul, perhaps we can remember to have courage. He can save people from dying in a shipwreck, He can do all things. We don't need to be afraid.
When we remember that He is sailing with us, we have the real courage that we need.
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