One of the wonderful things about the Psalms is the way they
deal with the very foundational things of life.
In this psalm we hear of God giving relief in distress, dealing with
shame and foolishness, anger, the questions that come to mind in the night,
good and bad, joy, bread and wine, and sleep.
All of us have experienced these things, I dare say. In the midst of all these normal basic parts
of our lives we are called to faith and worship.
“Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.”
In the world we live in we tend to compartmentalize our
lives. This area is for work. This area is for play. This part over here is for deep
thoughts. That one over there is for
desires like food, sex, pleasure, and comfort.
And then this area over here is for faith.
The psalms show us a different view on life; one where
all those other areas are wrapped around faith.
When David, the author of this psalm, eats he does it in faith. When he lies down to sleep, it is in the belief
that the LORD makes his dwelling secure.
His anger is an opportunity to put himself in God’s hands instead of
dealing sinfully with it. Even his
deepest thoughts pondered in secret, those darkest insecurities, give occasion to
be silent, remembering, “You have given me relief when I was in distress.”
That’s how this always begins. God has given us relief from our
distress. When we were separated from
Him, when we didn’t even know we needed Him, He came to us. God always makes the first move. After Adam and Eve sinned, they did not seek
God out to confess their sin and get God’s help, but God came to them and called
out, “Where are you?” He promised to
send one to restore them, to restore us, to our proper place in His
kingdom. Today we know that One was
Jesus, God’s own Son, who came to seek and save the lost (that’s us) by laying
down His life for us on the cross. That
is what it means when David calls God, “O God of my righteousness.” God is the one who makes us righteous, that
is, good, holy, godly, and reflective of His image.
So now we call out to God in prayer, confident that He
hears us; confident because He made the first move. We didn’t have to get His attention by doing
some great deed; He had already turned His face toward us. As the psalm says, “Lift up the light of your
face upon us, O LORD!” Indeed, He has done this sending Jesus who is
the Light of the Word and God’s very presence for us.
We can also go about our lives in confidence. God is with us. Go to the office, the factory, the shop, the
gym, the store, the garage, or wherever you are going (or staying) as one God
smiles upon. He met us in our distress
and saved us. And make no mistake, our
sin is distressing. When Jesus bore it
on the cross He cried out, “My God, my God!
Why have you forsaken me?” But He
also said from the cross, “It is finished.”
That which distressed us has been removed, nailed to the cross, and left
in death.
So have joy in your heart. This is better than a great banquet with good
food and fine wine! God hears your
prayer. He has made you righteous. He is with you all throughout your life. He accepts our sacrifices, that is, He
accepts our worship. We can trust
Him. After all, if God gave His one and
only Son to save us, how will he not also provide all we need for this
life?
Father in Heaven, You
have given me every good thing! I have
not always lived as though You have made me right with you. Help me put my trust in Jesus as my savior,
and let that trust translate to the rest of my life that I may lie down and
sleep, and live my whole life, dwelling safely in Him. Amen.
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