You uphold me and set me in your presence for ever
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I could feel the journey from pain to joy in these Psalms. David’s situation does not sound good – he is aware of enemies and opposition – but his biggest source of pain sounds like awareness of his own “sinful folly.” How conflicted does he sound in Psalm 38? He is troubled by his sin but seeks only to do what is good. He confesses to God but seeks refuge from evil accusations. What David wants is so different from what he has, not just in life around him which he cannot control but in his own conduct too.
Isn’t it a pain to feel out of control like that? When I feel that way, I can lurch between wanting to fix myself and trying to order the world around me. What I love about these Psalms is that, in the meeting with David, God recognises this. David’s internal and external conflicts get passionately expressed with the help of the Holy Spirit. But David needs another dimension in his life to move forward with confidence.
I love that the Spirit guides David towards seeking God. And God shows up. In Psalm 40, God’s response is uplifting, firm, a new song, wondrous deeds, confidence to share about them, renewed relationship, and maybe even glimpses of salvation in Jesus.
Does that make David’s enemies go away? Has the danger around him disappeared? No. But when God answers David’s prayers, David receives the power to live differently, with confidence, not rooted in his own fragile achievements but in God’s eternal love.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God hears us even when our own sin is making us desperate and when our focus on ourselves and our pain is shaping our prayers. God answers in good time and wants to turn our lives around, and he himself is the rock on which we can push into a different direction.
God's power to do this is shown by his everlasting, timeless existence which cuts across all of our limited lifespans. God's unique presence can even prompt a man to pray echoes of the future and know Jesus, the saviour who, from David's perspective, had not yet been born.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
In a time when it seems easy to point to crisis beyond my control as a source of stress, I will allow God to meet me and guide my prayers more - the Spirit knows me better, reveals more, gives me access to much greater meaning in life, and prays really good prayers!
Who am I going to share this with?
People I hope to pray with online this week as we finish “The SHAPE of you” course and meet in virtual communities as we get ready for Easter.