 |
This is an old one that I forgot to post here. Please forgive me for forgetting.
Last year I was reading through Psalms and I got to chapter 69. As I was reading it all I could think of was "Man, this dude was a serious Debby Downer."
"Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies;
What I did not steal, I then have to restore. O God, it is You who knows my folly,
And my wrongs are not hidden from You. May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel, Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother's sons. For zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept in my soul with fasting,
It became my reproach. When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate talk about me,
And I am the song of the drunkards." Psalm 69:1-12
I'll admit it, lately I've been going through some stuff that has made me depressed and this chapter has given me comfort for it says everything I am feeling. Why should I feel ashamed for being depressed when there is nothing wrong with depression. Even Jesus became depressed.
"For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:2-4
Yet some of us have found ourselves being on the edge of being dragged to the point where a person is overwhelmed by every essence that makes up depression. All to the point where one wants to stay in the corner of a dark room and block everyone and everything out. In a sense it's like building a brick wall safety bubble around yourself so no one and nothing can get through.
And there lies the problem. We are so busy blocking everything out that we end up blocking God out. Just like us this Psalmist is going that sinking feeling yet he realizes that when he is at that stage he doesn't have to go through it alone.
"But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;
O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with Your saving truth. Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink;
May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. May the flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the pit shut its mouth on me. Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in distress; answer me quickly. Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it;
Ransom me because of my enemies!" Psalm 69:13-18
"But I am afflicted and in pain;
May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high. I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the LORD better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs. The humble have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, let your heart revive. For the LORD hears the needy
And does not despise His who are prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name will dwell in it." Psalm 69:29-36
Has anyone ever done the trust exercise where you have to fall backwards and trust the people behind you are going to catch you? Well it's exactly like that. When you think you can't stand it anymore God is there saying "Come on. Trust me. I got your back. Not only do I have your back, I will carry you the whole way." For when we are weak, we are strong because He makes us strong.
"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But if we are to busy building that brick wall bubble to shut everything out, even His voice, then how can we hear Him saying that He has our back.
|
 |
Reply
