It’s difficult to put up with this Lord whose goodness and mercy and love and kindness is so overwhelming and so everlasting. It’s not the “endures” so much as that adverb there–that “forever.” What brought that on? To what do I owe this? Talk about endurance, it’s my ego that can’t stand for this…puts me to shame, my own project–what is ME–that insists that it have some part of this deal, somewhere along the line, at least. Maybe the Psalmist knows all about my predicament, for there he goes, repeating it over and over–first Israel, then Aaron’s house, then any, any at all, who fear God. Perhaps all these advancing choruses will chip away a bit at that ego of mine. We could go for a shot of this love of God here and there, but this whole scene sounds so permanent, such a long term and tight relationship. Maybe He did pull me out of some distress back when, but I can get along now with most anything that comes my way.
Oh, if this psalm weren’t so long, so full of my dependence on the LORD, perhaps then I could hang on, but it goes on…and on…and on. That victory song in the tents is the last straw, that chorus that brags about His right hand, the Lord’s doing. All we can do is marvel, be-dazzled and befuddled that this LORD gets in our face, right down here personally to care and protect, for a long, long time. Maybe, just maybe, I could let go and join in that final verse about the forever-ness that He is offering up. But, I need some help.
Let us pray.
Lord, help me. My sin is my inability to be gifted by you with all that you have for me. Set me free of whatever it is that keeps me from you–your protection, your eternal Goodness and mercy. Don’t give up on me. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Every time I come to lutherancommunitygrace.net you have another fascinating article up. A friend of mine was talking to me about this topic several weeks ago. I think I will send them the link here and see what they say.
Comment by Anonymous — April 6, 2010 @ 10:44 pm