No one is a shoo-in for heaven. Even the writer of Psalm 26 seeks the LORD’s deliverance. He writes that he has lived a life of obedience. He even asks the LORD to do the examination of his heart and mind to see if he is wrong about his own self-assessment (v2). Would you want to ask the LORD to do this? And yet this is exactly what we need to do. We can deceive ourselves into thinking we have it together and we need the LORD, who knows us better than we know ourselves, to come and open up our eyes and conscience. It will be a painful process, but then cleansing can happen. And since it is the LORD showing us our failings, He is right there with mercy and forgiveness.
Psalm 56 records the desperation of someone who is under active attack. Notice the weaving of his current situation with his words of trust in the LORD. When we enter the LORD’s presence with our concerns we are trusting that He will help us handle it. When we enter His presence, all other concerns seem to be small by comparison to His greatness (vv10-11). Then, when we are brought through, the LORD gets the credit (vv12-13). I have made a mess of my life every time I have tried to control it. When I enter His presence and give Him control, peace overwhelms me and things work out.
Do you ever feel like there is a battle raging within you, a battle for the direction of your life? Psalm 86 hints at this battle when the writer asks the LORD for an undivided heart (v11). It can be easy when there is an external battle, enemies attacking and you life feels threatened, to allow fear to overwhelm your faith. We get impatient and sometimes take matters into our own hands instead of waiting. The writer seems to remind the LORD of his desperate situation (v14) and then remind himself of the LORD’s character (v15). This is a pretty good combination, our problem paired with God’s character.
We must always remember that we are creatures, not the Creator. Psalm 116 records what happens after the LORD has brought victory. I love that the writer tells himself to return to rest (v7). Sometimes we need to stop the negative fear talk that runs through our head. But that does not mean that we can’t bring our honesty into the LORD’s presence. We can trust and talk about reality (v10). He trusted and talked about his affliction. We can talk about our cancer and still know that the LORD is faithful. Our words are the words of a creature and not His words. Our death is precious (v15), not something that takes the LORD by surprise. Faith is not a denial of reality. Faith takes reality into full account and walks into God’s presence with that reality.
Even the strongest ruler here on earth leaves his power at the grave (Ps 146:4). By contrast the LORD is forever (v6). He reaches to the lowest and most desperate of the world (vv7-9). Those without a voice He hears. And we need to stand with these who don’t have power in this world. When the political and economic powers run crazy, we need to stand with the least. Neither side of the political debate in Washington stands with the powerless. Each is twisting their message to capitalize on the weakness of the other. Each hopes to gain advantage in the struggle for the direction of the country. Neither one has the mind of Christ.
The Arnold Journey 