Monday, April 20, 2020

Psalms 40-45

What does it say?
Psalm 40: The psalmist trust that the Lord will help and deliver him because he is needy and the Lord is good.
Psalm 41: The one who considers the helpless is blessed and the Lord will deliver him when he is in trouble; however, the psalmist believes that he is in trouble and waits to be delivered by the Lord.
Psalm 42: The psalmist is thirsting for God while troubled in exile away from the house of God.
Psalm 43: The psalmist prays and hopes in God to deliver him from deceitful and unjust men.
Psalm 44: The psalmist recalls the greatness of God; deliverance in the former days but laments the present, they are troubled by their enemies and it seems that God does not come to their aid, so the he calls to God for help.
Psalm 45: The king is glorious and his bride is beautiful; celebrate the marriage of the king and his bride.

What does it mean?
It often feels like God is not listening, that he has a deaf ear regarding our cries for help. We can recall how God was good in the past. We can read in the Scriptures of the great things that God did and we can also see the great revivals that have occurred in church history but what of today. Where is God and what is he waiting for? Even though we may feel that God is not listening, or seeing, all is not lost. The Almighty is on his thrown and he knows everything that occurs on the earth and he is working all things together for good. The future will not be like the former days because there will be a marriage feast. The Son of God, the King, who is God incarnate will marry his bride. On that day we will have a great celebration. 

What shall I do?
I confess that I sometimes wonder if God is listening. I pray for the salvation of my children but they continue unchanged. The world around me becomes stranger and stranger with every passing day. Three days a week, I work in the ICU and 4 days a week I am at home. While at work, I wear a mask all day long. I feel so isolated and lonely. I recall the former days when we would fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ but now we watch on a computer screen. Our worship leader sings songs and our pastor preaches a sermon. I am not one to interact with people online or on the phone. I long for community where everyone loves the other and we all interact with each other. I confess that I long for the former days and lament today. I feel as though I am in exile. I shall trust in God: Father and Son and Holy Spirit; the Lord God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good. I trust that he is working all things together for good. A is day coming in which the people of God will celebrate together a marriage feast. I shall wait for the Lord!