The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. Psalm 143:3-4
Lately, I have been meditating on Psalm 143 (full text at end of post*). I can very much relate to the psalmist as he cries out - crushed to the ground, spirit faint and failing, heart dismayed.
The psalmist cries out for the Lord, thirsting for God like parched ground. He prays for God to answer quickly, to not hide his face, to show him the way and lead him on level ground, to teach him to do the Lord's will and rescue him from his enemies.
He cries out for the Lord to preserve his life in the battle, bring him out of trouble, silence his enemies and destroy them. And with all this is a plea to respond very soon - "let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love."
I think that is what tugs at me the most. There is no talk of waiting here, as there is in so many other psalms. It is a desperate cry. Let the morning bring me word. Let me hear you soon, Lord! Let today be the day. Rise with the morning sun, Lord, and save me. Let me hear a word from you. Let something good happen today!
And this is where I find myself – crushed to the ground, faint, failing, on the edge of despair – thirsting for the only One who can help, the only One who can save.
Yet, then I see that embedded in the psalmist's plea is a kind of how-to guide through the pre-dawn darkness:
- I remember what God has done for me
- I meditate on and consider his acts of grace and love
- I spread out my hands to God in supplication, letting go of trying to be the savior
- I put my trust in God and in his goodness
- I lift up my soul to God in surrender to his will
- I hide myself in God, resting in him
- I reconfirm that I am His servant, that I am not going anywhere
Yes, Lord, I am your servant. I am not going anywhere.
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68
So, I guess, in a way, the psalm does end with waiting, doesn't it? Because isn't that what a servant does – wait on the master or mistress?
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalm 123:2 (ESV)
And I look to his loving hand because – Yes! – he does hear me, he does see, he does know, and he will come to my relief.
My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 25:15 (ESV)
But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge … Psalm 141:8 (NIV)
I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 (AMP)
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love!
Psalm 143*
1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
11 For your name's sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant
Photo, Moonset at Sunrise by max_thinks_sees https://flic.kr/p/5Jhis6
No comments:
Post a Comment