Post by: Imperfect
I remember first discovering the Book of Psalm when I was in
my first, of only 2, years of college. The language and honesty amazed me…this
was something I could relate to!
Today I was reading Psalm 61 and 62 and God just smacked me
in the face. Some people call these Ahh-Haa moments, I call them God smack moments (The reason…because that is usually how God has to get my attention!). Anyway I was
struck with the realization that these Psalms were written in the moments of
life, right when they were happening.
Here
my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
Psalm 61:1
Psalm 61:1
My
soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:1
Psalm 62:1
But
I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my
refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 59:16
Psalm 59:16
You
have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; You have been angry—now restore us.
Psalm 60:1
Psalm 60:1
Deliver
me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Psalm 59:1
protect me from those who rise up against me.
Psalm 59:1
O
Israel, put your hope in the LORD;
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
Psalm 130:7
All of these Psalms deal with life in the moment.
Desperation, contentment, joy, dejection, fear, hope…emotions that are part of
life and part of each individual. for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
Psalm 130:7
So my God smack moment came when I realized that the
individuals that wrote these Psalms were crying out to God in the MIDST of life.
Their lives were no different than ours in the sense of working hard and taking care of a home and family. Yes, I know most of us don’t live in tents and herd animals for a living, but
we all try to make a living and we all live somewhere. The point is they cried
out to God, sometimes with praise and sometimes with agony, in the MIDST of their
problems and joys. They didn’t wait for life to be perfect or for that situation
to clear up, they didn’t hide their emotions with a mask of perfection. NO!
They said, "God this is how I feel and I am telling You about it".
God wants to hear from us…not just the all-put-together versions
of us, but the REAL us, the imperfect us. The us that’s angry that life isn’t
going how we wanted, the us that’s disappointed that the job we thought was
surely God-ordained didn’t work out, the us that is so happy and full of joy
our faces hurt from smiling. This is the us God wants to hear from!
So true...there are times I'm so frustrated with the kids and I know my own flesh is getting in the way of me not acting in a godly fashion and I just yell out loud, "God you have to help me now. I'm losing it and I don't want to be this way!" We should try writing Psalms of our own sometime.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, that was from me-- "Persistent" :)
ReplyDeleteIt is so much easier to talk about others problems than you own.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to be real with God when I am not real with myself. Sometimes my heart feels down, dark and just when I think nothing else bad could happen, life gets complicated.
What do you suggest to get back on track with Him during "down days?"
My suggestion...be real! And that can mean whatever for your situation. For me, it meant trusting God enough to show Him my anger...not the pretty kind where I say, "I'm mad, but it's OK", but the kind where I was raising my fist in the air and yelling, "WHY!!!" (and maybe a couple other choice words!). I found that God could not only handle that but He was still there when I was done and He stilled loved me exactly the same. After I was able to let Him see that side of me I was able to feel a freedom that I had never felt before. And this didn't happen right away...it took time.
Delete--Imperfect
I've heard that when you least feel like getting into the word, that's when you need it most. When I'm feeling the way you're describing it is a real battle for me to sit down and read but it's a choice you have to make. I think that's why the Psalms are so good for times like what you're talking about, they are so honest about feeling that way. There's times David basically says "God you've abandoned me." But he talks/prays his way through that feeling to what he knows is truth--that God has always been there for him. I think getting into the Word is such a battle b/c the enemy makes it one and I think that's why it's so important to win it. Reminding yourself, as David did, what the truth is--regardless of how you're feeling at the moment--is what always helps me to stay on track. Along with keeping my mind immersed in the Word, singing praise and worship songs makes it almost impossible for me to feel disconnected from Him. Get to a place where you feel secure that no one will walk in on you and sing, dance, get face down on the floor--whatever posture you're comfortable with and just lose yourself in the private time with God. Some of the best times I've had with God were at my lowest points in life. -Persistent
ReplyDelete