Psalm 4

When I call, give me answers. God, take my side!  Click here to read all Psalm 4

There is honesty in the psalms that I truly find refreshing.  The very first verse of Psalm 4 says something I have thought so often, but rarely have the courage and chutzpah to say aloud actually to God.  In moments of prayer, we long for answers.  In moments of prayer, we want God to say, "You know, Wes, you are absolutely right.  You are brilliant!"  (Sometimes God's imaginary answers are almost embarrassing.)

But more often than not, I don't get immediate answers, emails, or texts from God with simple solutions to my prayers.  It takes time...waiting...patience.  Hence, why I want to join with the psalmists and say, "Please God, just give me an answer...and if it is not too much trouble...um...take my side."

If you read the rest of the Psalm you will see that the hymn/prayer/poetry of the psalm goes on to recall how previously, in the past, the psalmist was in a jam (between a rock and hard place) and God got the psalmist out of that fine messy he had gotten himself into before.  And so, the psalmist trusts that it will happen again.  But each passing second is a weight upon the psalmist's shoulders.

When we are waiting for medical tests or job interviews or for some situation to be resolved, looking back can help, but it distracts us for only so long.  Soon, we are back in the present moment, waiting and wondering why are things not hurrying up?

In the next set of verses, the Psalmist recounts what people are saying to her about her faith.  People laugh, scorn, and generally caught up in the so-called wisdom of the world.  But the Psalmist will not relent.  When others want the Psalmist to turn away from God and hunger for more in this world, the psalmist suddenly has the courage and chutzpah to say an emphatic, "No!"

I am not sure I always have the courage to resist the lure of more in this world.  Such a desire was made famous in the 1980's movie, Wall Street where Michael Douglas character talking to a group of people says, "Greed is good."  He goes on to extol how greed drives people to work harder.  But at some point, more is just more.  Another pair of shoes is just another pair of shoes.  Another iphone is just another iphone.  Sure it may have a cool new feature, but we can be certain that Apple is already working on the next phone and even the next generation after that.  The drive for more leaves the psalmist, and many today, saying, "Enough already."

And to realize also the truth that God is enough for all of us.  God's grace is enough to fill our lives with joy.  God's love is enough to get us through the waiting.  God's presence is enough even when we don't get an answer quickly or the answer we'd like.

When we arrive at that place, we sense more than a trace of God's grace that makes all the difference.

May it be so for you and me this day and this week in the midst of our waiting.

Blessings~ 

Psalms

Happy are those

    who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or take the path that sinners tread,

    or sit in the seat of scoffers;

 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and on his law they meditate day and night. Psalm 1

Two Sundays ago, I invited people to begin reading the book of Psalms.  One of the reasons why I decided to do this is because of the very first word, "Happy".  We spend a lot of time thinking and talking about happiness today.  Often, that happiness depends on something outside of us.  We will be happy if that coworker leaves...that neighbor moves...that new car suddenly appears in our drive way. 

Happy is a word that will appear 25 times in the 150 psalms, that is significant. I am sure in the course of 150 conversations, I talk about happiness at least 25 times.  

What makes you happy?

Where do you long for more happiness?

The psalm does not come out and give us a five point plan for happiness or even guarantee that we will have our best live ever right now.  Instead, first, the psalms tells us to be careful who we listen to, which paths we take, and where we sit.  Because those things matter and make a difference.  If we only listen to people who are cynical, or we only travel down paths have thorns/thistles, or if we only sit with folks who don't see hope that impacts us perhaps more than we know.

It can impact our relationship with God.  

The psalmist does give us some very practical advice to meditate day and night on God's law. Or another translation of that would be to murmur on God's Torah day and night.  So, my invitation is quite practical too.  Read one psalm in the morning and one psalm at night.  As with all good suggestions there is a lot of room to roam here.  I have actually found it is easier to read my two psalms together in the morning.  It is a good time to center myself before the day gets going and leads naturally into prayer.  However, you can decide how to do this in a way that works best for you.  As a psalm comes up that stirs my soul, I will offer a comment here.

Two quick comments: 1).  The psalms are brutally honest in their poetry and prayer.  They talk of revenge and God lashing out at enemies.  We are not use to that in our polite church prayers today.  But, we do sometimes think that especially with that coworker...neighbor...family member who gets on our nerves.  And the psalmist believes God can handle those emotions that we think, but don't always say aloud.

2).  The psalms are poetry and prayer which cannot be read the same way you read a novel.  It is good to slow down and let each word linger on the tip of your tongue, speaking deeply to your heart.

I pray you will accept this invitation.  Or perhaps you can enjoy the next several posts that about psalms.

May we sense more than a trace of God's grace in our connecting with these prayers and poetry.

Blessings ~