Psalm 10:1

Psalm 10:1 ESV
Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Ever feel this way?  Sure you do - at least some of you.

But - a feeling isn't a fact.

God is always working through and with and for His children.  It's impossible for Him not to.  We may not "feel" it - but that's just us.

The world, flesh and devil love to get us to think - feel this way.  They probably have a party.  They know they can't snatch us away from Him but they can get us to crawl into a corner and curl up in a ball.

Reading one of the works of Christopher Love, a Puritan preacher, he talks about how we are overly anxious or afraid or sorrowful when we allow our sorrow to keep us from our duties (prayer, study, worship, tithing, etc.).  The enemy doesn't have to score points of get the ball - the enemy only needs to hold us in place.  The enemy wants us to so enlarge our afflictions that we cease to look to Him and just look at them.

Love also writes about how we need to have a greater sorrow for our sins than for our afflictions.  He provides some good insight into how this looks.  NOT that he is encouraging us to focus on our sin to our greater sorrow but to sorrow for what is more important.

It's so easy to get so focused on our difficulties that we forget to continue our growth.  When that happens, there is little joy in the duties of the believer.  BUT - the duties of the believer aren't intended to be a means of "feel good."  They are our means of staying focused on Him and of "standing" in the assault.  They are intended to accomplish two things (but not just two things).  They are intended to honor and glorify Him and to conform us to the likeness of our Lord.

A verse like the one above can do one of two things.  It can worsen our pity party or it can make us search our hearts and minds for the source of the "feeling."

Being "severely bummed out" when things are hard and painful is not a bad thing - it's actually a healthy thing.  but one can be "too" bummed out.

Of course our minds should recall:


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,   (2Co 10:5)

Such speculations and thoughts as we find in the Psalm need to be destroyed - but gently.  It's not that we need to beat ourselves up when we have these thoughts or feelings but rather we must take then to the Word and to the Lord in prayer for His attention and action.  Such thoughts are a clear reminder of not only the warfare we are in but of our weakness, immaturity and frailty as well.

Remember the "little children" we're supposed to be like?  OK - don't be afraid or ashamed of having childish thought - but don't let them take root.  Rather, take them to Him - ask Him for insight and strength.  Ask Him to do what He has promised AND acknowledge that He is never far from you - He is never not to be found - NOTHING can separate you from His love.

Yeah, it's hard and these thoughts are so easy to have.  Please be a gracious with yourself at these times as He is with you at all times.

Father, sometimes I feel abandoned.  Sometimes I feel like You and I are far apart.  Please Lord, comfort me and strengthen me when I feel this way.  Call me to You in prayer.  Call me to Your word.  Call me to Your people and call Your people to me.

In my most desperate "felt" need I know my greatest real need is for Your comfort and strength.  Don't let me get distracted.  Don't let me be deceived.  Don't let me become so depressed that I withdraw from You and Your people.

I will do my best to take every damaging, deceptive and devious thought captive.  I will bring them to You and ask You to destroy them for what You destroy stays destroyed.

Thank You for Your lovingkindness - please help me to apply it to myself when I struggle.

Amen

A Deeper View 012213b

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Mat 6:24)

"Money"  mammōnas:  Wealth personified; avarice

Ouch!

Most definitions of avarice say it's "extreme" - excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain : greediness.

But is that what Jesus is actually saying?  I don't think so.  I believe He's making a clear comparison between who/what we look to for our providence.  In the context of this, even the slightest "avarice" is extreme.

You don't have to be a greedy-wealth driven person to fit into what Jesus is talking about.  If I am looking to "money" as the answer to my problems and not to God, then I am double-mastered - actually I am serving Mammon.  

Paul writes:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.  (1Ti 6:10)

The author of Hebrews writes:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  (Heb 13:5)

I have to say I am learning what Paul means by, "pierced themselves with many pangs (sorrows)."  I'm getting pang pierced quite regularly.  

I am especially sorry for all the waste of His provision.  Oh boy - let's leave it at that.  But being "sorry" isn't the point.  Repentance is the point.  I have to turn away from that oh so common money thing to Him.  I have to embrace Him and His promise and accept His will for me.

There was an old saying in my pre-disciple days that we "hippies" used - I will leave that to your imagination but - in this case I'll say, "God will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no God."

Jesus presents us with a choice - and for some it's a big and deep choice.  We have to really examine ourselves (a good thing anytime) for what pieces of avarice/mammon are tucked away in our heads and hearts.  

I suggest - from experience (current experience) that we look for envy, dis-satisfaction, grumbling, fear, anger, etc and see it they are connected to mammon.  

Are we dis-satisfied with God's current provision?  Are we fearful of our future known and unknown needs?  Are we, like Israel in the OT when threatened by invasion, looking to make unwise alliances?  Are we, like they, seeking some thing other than God in our need?

It's common to us but it isn't best.  We all know that.  We all know that God is the loving and gracious Shepherd.  We all know that He gave His best to make us His and that this is the greatest provision we could ask for.  We all know these things - but sometimes He loves us enough to take us to a place where we see our sinful seeking in other places.  He does that to halt us in our tracks and bring us back to His way - the only true way.

Sometimes it feels like He is teaching me to be a little child.  I cried in Patti's arms the other night and prayed to Him for to comfort and strengthen us in His Way.  I felt like a weenie - but I realized I was learning to come to Him as a little child who is utterly dependent upon Him for EVERYTHING.

Just goes to show that we can know something - and yet have to KNOW it better - deeper - more childishly.

Let's examine ourselves and ask His Spirit to both guide us and comfort us as we look for those thin, weak places in our walk.  It's OK, He intendeds to fatten them up and build some muscle.  He is never done with us - which really is good news!

You, those of you who can identify and those of you who don't yet - are in our prayers and  we are vaguely but faithfully lifting you up.  Remember it's "OUR Father ------"