Okay, I confess that when I looked at the number of Psalms for today I got a little shaky. But actually, it’s not any more reading that 2-3 regular chapters. And, (bonus!) I had some refreshing thoughts. Funny how Scripture does that…
I was halfway through Psalm 8 (or was it 9?) when I realized that I wasn’t “listening” to what I was reading. I was reading just to be done reading…you know, so I could say that I had read what I needed to for the day. As I sit here this morning, there isn’t anything pressing that must be done in the next hour. No one is requesting my time, the phone isn’t ringing, I don’t have any reason to hurry. So I wonder, what’s the rush?
“Lord, I’m sorry for skimming your Word like that. This is supposed to be me listening to You, and I wasn’t listening. Can we start over?”
I’m glad that we didn’t read just Psalm 6 today, because it begins and ends in “the valley”. You know the place, you’ve probably been there…so have I. When I feel like I’m not getting answers from God, or that I am being oppressed (attacked) by others, or when the everyday pressures of the job just get to be too much and I feel alone or weak….that’s my valley. David certainly seems to be in a deep valley here. It’s good for me to remember that David suffered severely before he was the king. God allowed him to spend time in despair and isolation, and from the sounds of things he was depressed. At the very least he was discouraged.
I have a thought as I read this. God isn’t worried or upset when I am discouraged. In fact, God may withhold his revelation for a brief time to see how I react when discouraged. Does that seem harsh to you? I promise that it isn’t. Let me give you an example from my life. I spent some time in the military (National Guard, between wars) and we were training for the next conflict. Part of that training was determining how effective we could be when sleep deprived, or exhausted. Another part measured how accurate we were when wearing heavy chemical masks and overalls. In both of these cases, there was no immediate reason why we had to behave this way. We weren’t allowed to sleep, but the only reason was so we would understand that when we were tired, normal tasks took longer…so we could be better prepared. The same was true for all our training…it would seem harsh and even pointless to an outsider..but it actually made sense.
Was David in training here? I think he was. Am I in training? Huh. Possibly…..in fact, God may allow the sense of being overwhelmed just to see how I react, or to allow me to see how I react, so that I can improve. That’s the purpose of training, after all.
Sometimes I forget that, and grumble and whine.
So…I was standing out in my yard an evening ago, looking up at the blackest sky I have seen in quite a while. Clouds were swirling and moving in different directions. I guess that a tornado touched down somewhere, but I didn’t see that. As I stood there with my head arched upward, I began to notice subtle differences in the clouds. Faint traces of pink and purple, different shades of gray and blue..It looked like colored waves, rippling up onto the shore of some unknown land. Honestly, where a moment ago I had seen only darkness I now saw beauty. The same has happened as I stared into the clear night sky and considered all of the worlds out there. My mind cannot conceive of how many different spheres God has created, each one unique in some way. The more I look into the sky the smaller I feel, and the more in awe I am. And, the more loved I feel…knowing that God who created all these stars also created and loves me. Incredible.
But I don’t get that when I glance up quickly and repeat “red sky tonight, sailor’s delight”. I have to stop and soak in it, or the Spirit doesn’t speak. Then again, maybe the Spirit is speaking, and I am in too big of a hurry to listen.
I wonder if spending time looking intently into God’s Word is the same as staring into the night sky? His Word is so deep, every thought fashioned and crafted with care…my human mind cannot conceive of it. The more I look into His Word, the smaller I feel, and the more in awe I am. And the more loved I feel…knowing that God who whispered all these words to His prophets also whispers to me, and loves me. Incredible.
Thoughts for another day:
The Lord will not abandon us.
The wicked believe they are “getting away with it”, but they will be caught in the trap they set for others
Those who do evil will be punished, no one gets away with it.
God never leaves or abandons those who trust in Him.
In addition to being very proud, the wicked are powerful at times
Faithfully,
PR