In so many of the Psalms, especially those of David, there
is a raw—almost painful—honesty. I’ve been emphasizing Psalms in my devotions
this year. I’m impressed anew with the openness of these prayers and songs of
worship.
·
- He says he has “taken refuge” in the Lord (1).
- In verses 2-3, refers to God as a “rock,” “stronghold,” and “fortress.”
- He is confident of the Lord’s guidance and deliverance in verses 3-4.
- He commits his spirit to God’s keeping (5) and trusts in Him (6).
- He clearly aligns himself as standing on God’s side (6).
From these verses, one could get the idea that David is above
it all, but we see something else appearing in verse 7. By the time we get to
verse 9, it is an outright admission, “I am in distress.” When I go back and
read those words of faith and affirmation in the light of the confession of
verse 9 they take on a different character. I can hear a measure of desperation
in David’s voice. He’s holding on by his fingernails. In verses 9-13, David
pours out a description of his troubles, and they are troubling.
I’ve been there, living in the dissonance, seeking to hold
onto what I know about God in the face of evidence that many hold up as proof
that the Lord doesn’t care about me at all. We can turn to other portions of
Scripture, particularly in the New Testament, that tell us about patience that
comes from tribulation, refining of our spirits, and lessons of holiness
learned in the school of pain, but let’s not go there too quickly. Let’s let
the voice of the Psalmist, raw though it is, speak to our hearts. I need to
take time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s stirring in my heart, asking, “Howard
do you ever feel like that?”
“Yes, Lord, sometimes I do.”
“So, my son, what are you going to do about it?”
Beginning in verse
14, David begins his journey back toward daylight. His requests are consistent
with the affirmations he made in the Psalms opening verses. Look where he comes
out.
As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.
O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord
preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong
and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.[1]
David
expressed this whiplash-inducing journey in one brief poem. I suspect it took
him longer to live it than to write it. I know it does me.
Lord, help me to come to the right conclusion.
[1] New American
Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 31:22–24). La Habra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
