Yearning for God

Lord, so often I sought You in my youth and never felt your touch. Your word I never doubted, but it never reached my heart. Never was I able to produce the perfect righteousness that you demanded. Your grace was my only hope. I confessed my sins and accepted You as my Savior and yet I still longed for that special touch.

So often I felt lonely, forgotten and cut off from Your Presence. My spirit was ready to give up and my heart was cold. Where are those days Lord, when you reached out to people and showed Your love? I pleadingly spread out my hand to You. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. Unless Lord, You come to my rescue, I won’t survive much longer. Do not hide Your face in anger as I am close to
death.

Lord, bring me words and tones of steadfast love and faithfulness. I simply do not know the way unless You direct my path. I cry out to you, to protect me from the temptation of the world. In You alone, I trust and depend on Your protection. When I walked thru the valley of the shadow of death, You were with me. You gave me a new heart and a new spirit – You have led me beside still waters. Your love I cannot comprehend.

Preserve me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake. I pray Lord, that in these last days of my life I will serve You with joy and gladness. And even if I falter, I will look up at the cross on which my Savior died. Knowing that living, He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away. Rising, He freely justified forever that one day He’s coming again. O glorious day!

John Beerhorst
Lenten Blog – Psalm 143
for Pastoral Care Council

Life is hard, but God is good

Unexpected beauty

Oh my, what a psalm of despair!  For the writer, life is overwhelming. As an old quotation says “There’s nothing so bad it couldn’t have been worse and it was worse.”  

I remember yelling at God when life was hard and answers were hard to come by.

A friend who was going through a hard time said “I feel like giving up on my faith.”

And today I talked to a woman who was discouraged and feeling like she couldn’t be strong for her son one more day. He has a long-term illness with many surgeries. Yet with God’s help she will be strong so her son doesn’t despair. 

Each of us in those moments can meditate on all the works that God has done. In our thirst for him we can reach our hands like a desert thirsty for rain. With the light of a new day we can look forward to God’s word of love. He will show us the way to go… he will guide us with his eye.  In her Stephen Ministry devotions last week, Jeannie Forrest commented on the beauty of the lotus flower…how it grows in the mud at the edge of a pond, often in not very clean water. Yet from the mud comes this beautiful flower.            

I could wish the psalmist could read Romans 5:3-5 in The Message. Despite being hemmed in with troubles, “we can keep alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit.”

By Marge Stromberg

A Psalm of David

`Psalm 143    A Psalm of David     from The Message

Listen to this prayer of mine, God;

pay attention to what I’m asking.

Answer me—you’re famous for your answers!

            Do what’s right for me.

But don’t, please don’t, haul me into court;

            Not a person alive would be acquitted there.

The enemy hunted me down;

            He kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life.

He put me in a black hole,

            buried me like a corpse in that dungeon.

I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away,

my heart heavy, like lead.

I remembered the old days,

            went over all you’ve done, pondered the ways you’ve worked.

Stretched out my hands to you,

            as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain.

Hurry with your answer God!

            I’m nearly at the end of my rope.

Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me!

            That would be certain death.

If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice,

            I’ll go to sleep each night trusting in you.

Point out the road I must travel;

            I’m all ears, all eyes before you.

Save me from my enemies, God—

            you’re my only hope!

Teach me how to live to please you,

            Because you’re my God.

Lead me by your blessed Spirit

            Into cleared and level pastureland.

Keep up your reputation, God—give me life!

            In your justice, get me out of this trouble!

In your great love, vanquish my enemies;           

            Make a clean sweep of those who harass me.

And why? Because I’m your servant.

            To better understand this Psalm, I’ve begun with the

Eugene Peterson version from The Message.

This is the last of seven scattered penitential Psalms. Divided into four sections, the first half shows David in great despair. All the way through he looks to God for justice, for visibility, remembering better days of how God worked, for quenching his extreme thirst.

Think of it as looking for hope, as you struggle to find a path through a massive disorganized junkyard. Thorn covered weeds are everywhere. In the dark it’s a dangerous path.

            In the second half, David is still calling on God for attention, then help. He feels ignored or deserted… feeling desperate.

            Then, as morning dawns, he seems to come to a clearing. He comes into a meadow of hope. Drifting spring clouds remind him God is still there. David asks for direction, promising to rely only on God. “I’m unemployed… bankruptcy lurks”.

            Lead me in the right path—I’m relying on you alone. Ultimately, I’m working with you, Lord.

                                                                                                Gordon Stromberg

                                                                                                Lenten blog  4-9-11