Today’s little word from those circled in my bible comes from Ps 102, verse 12: “but”. The previous verses are a litany of personal suffering. As Derek Kidner describes it: “The cry of one whose sufferings are unexplained.” When one’s suffering is unexplained, it makes the suffering even more intense. The psalmist pours forth his woe: “My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; I forget to eat my bread. Because of my loud groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh. . . I lie awake, I am like a lonely bird on the housetop . . . for you have taken me up and thrown me away.” These are dire cries from a forsaken soul.
Yet, out of this heartfelt suffering rises the little word, “but”–and that word makes all the difference: “BUT you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations. You will arise and have pity on Zion.” Etc. An incredible act of trust and courage. This is indeed heroic hope. A hope and trust placed not in one’s circumstances but in Someone who can be trusted because of Who He is and Whose word never fails.
May this little word encourage each of us. May we pray for the grace to use it in the midst of our own litanies, that we, too, may say: “BUT you, O Lord, are the lover of my soul. Your steadfast love endures forever. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”
Category: psalms
Little words (2)
More instances of the little word “all” in Scripture.
A follow-up on yesterday’s post about the little word “all”. After reading Amy’s reflection on “all” meaning all, I found myself noticing that little word more. For instance, Ps 25.16: “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.” “All” means all, not some. So wherever the Lord leads my steps are full of His steadfast love and faithfulness. No matter how it looks or feels.
Or take Ps 145. I have eleven “alls” circled in my Bible in that psalm. For example, vv. 17-18: “The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call upon him . . .” Take some time to find the rest of them yourself. . . and better yet, meditate on what that little word means for you. “All” means all.
As for God, His way is perfect
Some thoughts from Amy Carmichael that have inspired me time and again:
Ps 18.30: As for God, His way is perfect.
God is love, so we may change the word and say, As for Love, His way is perfect. This has been helping me.
One of the ways of Love is to prepare us beforehand for any hard thing that He knows is near. Perhaps this word will be His loving preparation to some heart for a disappointment, or for some trial of faith, or some secret sorrow between the Father and His child. As for Love, His way is perfect. (Edges of His Ways, p. 131)
If we take this word seriously, it will be life-changing.
“It was in every way a hard time for David . . .”
Well, no one has told me that they’re tired of my Amy Carmichael quotes (or maybe you’re all just being nice to me), so I’m going to share a couple more today and tomorrow. They tie in nicely with yesterday’s post, “Being honest with God.”
Ps 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Psalms 3 and 4 were written when David fled from [his son] Absalom [cf. 2 Sam 13ff]; and if, as some think, Psalm 4 was written at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, the harvest and the vintage were over, and the rich stores of corn and new wine were at Absalom’s disposal, while David had nothing or very little. It was in every way a hard time for David, and it was not surprising that many said there was “no help for him in God” and “Who will show us any good?” We all know times of trial when the voices within and without talk like that. But David’s faith breaks through, and he can honestly say, Though hast put gladness in my heart more than when corn and wine increased. It is not difficult to have gladness in our hearts when we have what we want–corn and wine may stand for whatever we most enjoy doing or possessing–but God asks for something far more than this. He wants what David offered Him when he wrote those words more than.
What David offered to his God was a heart that was utterly satisfied with His will. There were no private reservations, no little whispered “if”–if only I can be where I want to be, and have what I want to have, then there will be gladness in my heart, O God; he did not say that–he did not even say, By Thy grace I am glad, I am as glad as I should be if I had those stores of corn and wine. He went further, he flew right out of all the restricting thoughts that might have caged his spirit, up and up into the free air of God, and he said, Thou hast put a new kind of gladness in my heart. It does not depend on what I have, it is more than that sort of gladness. It is a joy that is entirely independent of circumstances.
To be continued tomorrow . . .
Of whom shall I be afraid?
How can the psalmist say he is not afraid though a host encamp against him? (Psalm 27)
Though a host encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet will I be confident. (Ps 27:3),
That verse from Psalm 27 poses a question: how can you not be afraid if a host encamps against you? Derek Kidner, in his commentary on this psalm, proposes the answer: look at the next verse:
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
“The best answer to distracting fears: to behold and to inquire–a preoccupation with God’s person and His will. It is the essence of worship . . .”
And so let us try to go about our days, doing our best to be preoccupied both with God’s person and His will. Then we will shall be confident “though war arise against me.”
(For another take on this psalm, go to Cloister of Love under Blogroll–to the right.)
Hope is a visor
Some random thoughts about hope:
Hope is a long patience! (Conrad deMeester)
Christ is held by the hand of hope. We hold him and are held. But it is a greater good that we are held by Christ than that we hold him. For we can hold him only so long as we are held by him. (Paschasius Radbert)
Moaning is connected with hope . . . (John of the Cross)
Hope allows the soul only a visor that it may look toward heavenly things, and no more. This is the ordinary task of hope in the soul; it raises the eyes to look only at God. (John of the Cross)
I have meditated on that last quote quite often. God often narrows our perspective so that we will look only to Him. In St. John’s time, a visor was defined as “on a close helmet, a piece having slits or holes for vision”. “St. Paul calls hope the helmet of salvation. A helmet is a piece of armor that protects the entire head and covers it so there is no opening except for a visor through which to see.” (John of the Cross, N.2.21.7) That is what hope should be for us–that slit in our life that narrows our vision to look toward God. If we could only remember when life seems to be closing in, that it could very well be the hand of God:
I lift my eyes to you,
to you who have your home in heaven,
eyes like the eyes of slaves
fixed on their master’s hand;
like the eyes of a slave girl
fixed on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are fixed on the Lord our God,
for him to take pity on us. (Ps 123.1-2)
My eyes are always on the Lord . . . . (Ps 25.15a)
Lord, have you forgotten me?
“Lord, have you forgotten me?”
Psalm 77 is another of the psalms that express pain and distress (see yesterday’s post for another). “My soul refuses to be comforted . . . I am so troubled that I cannot speak. . . . Will the Lord spurn for ever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love for ever ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious?”
I can recall being on retreat quite a few years ago at a Trappistine monastery in Dubuque. Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey is a wonderful and beautiful place to spend a retreat. It is located on top of a bluff overlooking the Mississippi Valley. Nonetheless, it had been a long season of dry, dry prayer in my life, and at one point that week I prayed my own version of Psalm 77: “Lord, have you forgotten me?” (Short and to the point. 🙂 And I heard no answer at the time.
Psalm 77, with all its wonderful and clear expressions of anguish–yes, wonderful, because it is so important to find scriptures that actually express all the movements in our hearts–also includes a few lines of instruction for us when we find ourselves in those places of distress: “I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; yea, I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate on all thy work, and muse on thy mighty deeds” (vv. 11-12). If we can only stop to remember at least one thing the Lord has done for us–and there are easily more than one, aren’t there?–then we may experience at least a slight lifting up of our hearts.
Take time today to remember, to call to mind, at least one way the Lord has blessed you in your life, and let your heart be lifted up, at least a little.
Witnesses to Hope 