I am confident that all of you, like me and my household, have attempted to retain or create some sense of normalcy in the midst of these very any-thing-but-normal times. It is proving difficult.
I also know that many of you, like me and my household, are facing unexpected losses as the “shelter-in-place” mandates move across the state.
Where do we turn in times of trouble?
I find great solace and comfort in the Psalms.
Today’s Psalm from the One Year Bible is Palm 69:1-18. It starts this way:“Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck.Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;I can’t find a foothold to stand on.
I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me.
I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched and dry.
My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for God to help me.” (69:1-3)
The lyricist paints a vivid picture of someone in despair: “up to my neck,” “sinking,” “overwhelmed,” “exhausted,” “parched,” “swollen,” and “waiting.” (anybody with me?)
In the next 9 verses the lyricist describes being taunted by his enemies. It is a dire situation…but in verse 13, he writes these words:“BUT, I keep right on praying to you, LORD, hoping this is the time you will show me favor.In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation.Pull me out of the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper!Rescue me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters.Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me,
or the pit devour me.
Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful.Turn and take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful.Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble.Come and rescue me; free me from all my enemies.” (69:13-18)
Throughout the Psalms there is a pattern that emerges; Orientation – disorientation – reorientation
Sometimes (many times) the “reorientation” is not simply “back to the way things were before.” Rather, it’s a “reorientation” to something better, something fuller, something we did not even expect or know existed.
In the passage above, I’ve put in bold a few words for your consideration.
“Show me favor” is a term that means, at its core, “grace” or “kindness.” It is unearned. It is unmerited. And in that instance when it occurs, it comes with the rich realization that this is really grace.
“Sure salvation” is a term that means, at its core, “rescue.” Throughout scripture, “rescue” is a characteristic of God. It is part of the overarching narrative; God is a God who “brings out,” “lifts up” and “rescues.” Some people might say, God “saves” us…as in salvation—but salvation means rescue.
Lastly, I point out that in the midst of the Psalmist lament, the Psalmist never fails to mention the unfaltering characteristics of God: “Unfailing love” and “Mercy.” These themes emerge time and time again in the Psalms and fit with the overarching narrative of the Bible. God’s love never fails (it can’t fail). God is merciful—as a matter of fact, God’s mercies are new each day. They are designed to meet the demands of the day.
Thanks for hanging with me through that. I pray that today, in the midst of the overwhelming flood of chaos that we are experiencing, above all else, you will experience God’s rescue, God’s salvation, God’s grace, God’s mercy and God’s unfailing love.