WATCHWORD:
4 I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. 5 I remember the glorious miracles you did in days of long ago. 6 I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens; don’t turn away from me or I shall die. 8 Let me see your kindness to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for my prayer is sincere. Psalm 143:4-8
Meditation:
David Struggled, Too
Psalm 143 is simply called A Psalm of David and is a reflection of a dark and anxious time when David was in the midst of crises caused by many of his enemies. It is included among the songs of confession and humility before God, and is a clear statement about the unrighteousness of men.
The season of Lent is a spiritually dark time and the weather doesn’t always help our mood. February is behind us and in ten days we will be out of March. We all look forward to April with hope and thoughts of crocuses and daffodils, and the greening of our lawns. For now, however, we agree with David, that day-to-day hope in this season is in short supply.
Granted, our hope may be in short supply as we work our way through Lent, but it like a walk in the park, when compared with David’s deep misery. David wasn’t depressive by nature. This is something brought upon him by his adversaries. For many years he lived as a fugitive from King Saul and was deeply hurt when his son Absalom rebelled against him. He knew what it was like to have great soul-misery inflicted upon him by another person.
Compared to David, our “seasonal down” is a bit of shade on an otherwise sunny day, yet we can relate to a certain extent. We don’t like being down, but we have the same hope supply that David had. David cries, Come quickly, Lord, while we call out “Help me, Jesus!” God is our God, whether things are going well or not. Whether the sun is out or we’re in the midst of a rain shower, he is still God. As Christians, we are challenged to remember who God is in our lives and to stand firm in our faith, no matter the sun, the rain, or difficult circumstances that we may experience. Brother David knew that, and trusted God.
I have an affection for a good rainy day. There is something about the sound and the rhythm of falling rain that is calming. I know there are some who like to complain when you look out the window at the rain and it’s a gray day. But, we both share the feeling of hope flowing through the window when the sun brightens our spirits and our rooms. I don’t think the Lord expects us to maintain a happy face through all kinds of weather, but I do believe he expects us to trust in him through it all.
For David, things were not going well. He was feeling depleted in almost every way imaginable and yet he remained faithful and true to his hope in the Lord. We read his words and, in them, we see that he maintains his trust and dependence upon God.
We often pray expressing our gratitude for the graces that God has showered upon us, but do we truly remember what God has done for us. Little unexpected things that we might take credit for. Where did they come from? How did I do that? In the course of our busy days, do we pause to remember what Jesus suffered for us so that we could experience the true life that we have in him, surrounded by his graces? A simple “Thank you, Lord”, will suffice.
My prayer for you and for me, is that we surrender and let the truth of the Word of God become a guiding beacon and reality in our lives, a source of continuing hope. Let his grace and mercy comfort us and remind us, minute by minute, of his unfailing love. Amen.
Where is Jesus?
Early Winter 30AD — Jesus leaves Galilee for the last time and crosses the Jordan into Gentile territory. Some of his disciples are discouraged that he is not the military leader they had hoped for and leave him. People are bringing children for blessings and his saying “To such belongs the Kingdom of God” is misunderstood by some of his disciples. He teaches on a hillside where a crowd of more than 4000 has gathered, mostly Gentiles, and then, the miracle — He feeds them. In five days He will be in Jericho, where he receives the message that Lazarus is ill until to death.
Lenten Prayer:
Lord, You give wisdom. From Your mouth comes knowledge and understanding. You hold victory in store for the upright. You are a shield to those whose walk is blameless. You guard the course of the just and protect the way of Your faithful ones. Enable me to understand what is right, just, and fair – every good path. Allow wisdom to enter my heart. May discretion protect me and understanding guard me all the days of my life. Amen.
