How
long, O Lord?
Will
you forget me forever?
How
long will you hide your face from me?
How
long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How
long will my enemy triumph over me?
(Psalm
13:1-2).
How many of us have felt this way at some point? It
is likely that David wrote this during the time when Saul was hunting him from
place to place, a very intense time for him.
What needs to impress us about this prayer of David is not his great
faith, nor his meekness before God nor his peace during trial—it is his
heartfelt honesty.
Hear again the heart of David: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why
do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1-2). David openly expresses what is on his heart,
and for the next 14 verses describes the times of trouble. But then he works it out: “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage
them, and you listen to their cry. . . (v.17).
Over time I have become
convinced of this: It is in our openness that we hear our faithlessness and can
turn away from it. This is the pattern
we see in the lives of Moses, of David, of the sons of Asaph. And I’ve seen it over and over in my own
life.
God wants a relationship
with each one of his ever-increasing family of beloved, adopted children. He wants to know our longings, our
aspirations, our problems, our anxieties, our doubts, even our sins. He wants to hear our thanks and praise, but
does not refuse our complaints. God
doesn’t want your money, your sacrifices, your church attendance, your
incredible leadership abilities, your acts of selfless service so much as he
wants what he loves the most—you! With
all of your warts, your problems, your doubts, your complaints—you are his
greatest treasure!
These well-chosen words truly encourage me - they help me take courage and be real with God and with others. By taking off my masks and being genuine, I open up to be transformed by His power. Thank you, Dave and Tom, for reminding us that it's not about our performance, but about our relationship with Him.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this reminder that God wants to hear our honest heartfelt thoughts. Very thought-provoking.
ReplyDelete"Over time I have become convinced of this: It is in our openness that we hear our faithlessness and can turn away from it" This is true, thank you. Best from Germany.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this timely reminder that I need to be honest with God because he loves me completely (warts and all). May God bless you. From the United Kingdom
ReplyDelete