Today’s Lectio Divina: Excerpts from Psalm 10. (MsgB)
God, are You avoiding me? Where are You when I need You?
This may be one of the hardest truths found in the Scriptures.
The God who creates us. The Father who loves us. The Creator-King who embraces us as His beloved children. The One who states clearly that He will never leave us or forsake us. The Christ who says “Fear not, my children, I am with You, even to the end of the age.”
At times…seems a million miles away from us.
King David is frightfully honest in his assessment of things here in Psalm 10. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Evil is running roughshod over the innocent. Bad folks are going unpunished. And all the while, God seems to be far away. Off on some vacation. Leaving me here to hold the bag.
It’s almost enough to make a believer renounce his or her faith and become one of those non-believers.
Almost.
But here’s the hope.
Even while David is bemoaning the fact that God has seemingly dumped him, I hear a glimmer of hope buried far beneath the surface of his soul. And it’s that glimmer of hope, this smoldering wick of light that God sees and responds to.
Yes, when all is apparently lost, and God is a million miles away, that’s when the reality of our faith shows what it’s made of. It’s so small, so minute; it appears to be smaller than a mustard seed.
But wait. Jesus talked about that, didn’t He?
He said that the faith the size of a mustard seed could move a mountain.
Well, apparently, there are times in life when you and I will arrive at that point. It’s not fun. Just ask King David. When only a mustard seed is alive in you, you tend to write things like David does here in Psalm 10.
God, are You avoiding me? Where are You when I need You?
But in the midst of this lonely desperation, David also has the ability inside himself to write these words as well:
But You know all about it— the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in You.
You won’t let them down: orphans won’t be orphans forever.
I dare to believe.
Wow. Now there’s the mustard seed Jesus was talking about.
No, name it-claim it attitude. No showy, high-talking victory march. No ‘puff-up my faith so I can look victorious to my friends’ glitz.
Just a simple and honest confession from one broken and lonely man of God.
“I’m hurting God. I feel very alone today…but Poppa, at the end of this day, I still choose to trust You. I still dare to believe.”
Hmm.
Pretty powerful stuff. I’m thinking Heaven believes that as well.
My prayer: God, on those days when it feels like You are a million miles away, may I be like King David who still has the ability within himself, even when all the chips are gone, to dare to believe in Your power to overcome. I choose to believe, Lord, that orphans like me won’t be an orphan forever. For Your name’s sake. Amen.
My questions to ponder: When God feels like a million miles away, where do I go with my thoughts? Like King David, how can I muster more strength from that small mustard seed of faith hidden deep inside me?
So what is God speaking to you today as you ponder the Psalms?
Over a 50-week period, you and I will take a deeper look at The Psalms: God’s Songbook of Prayers. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Contemplating the Psalms home page for ease of use. Keep in mind that one of the best ways to explore the on-going applications of this blog series is to walk alongside a biblically-based, Christ-centered spiritual director who is familiar with how to make material like this part of your overall spiritual formation in God. Many of our directors in our Sustainable Faith-Heartland network are available to companion you in your journey with Jesus. Click here for more info.
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