Singing to God
On Sunday, we started our Lenten series entitled “Conversations with God.”,
David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the hand of Saul.
He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior – from violent people you save me.”
2Samuel 22:1-3
David’s song of praise is also found in Psalm 18. The Psalms are filled with questions and expressions of every emotion. Every great person in the Bible whom God called for a purpose had a few questions when God called them. Most of the questions came from a place of humility.
David’s prayer life definitely reflects honesty. Some of his prayers are filled with complaining, whining, anger, or doubt. Centuries later, we are still dealing with those same emotions. Can you relate? I certainly can. Blaming God is an entirely different story. It certainly isn’t healthy or accurate, but expressing hurt or disappointment about a situation without blame can be the beginning of healing. God knows everything about us anyway, so why not be totally honest? Some people will never truly know who we are deep inside, but God does. Through the process of telling God how we feel, we should also humbly listen for wisdom on how to correct our wrong attitudes and wrong feelings/emotions. Just like in our relationships, we should be open and honest when sharing our feelings rather than bury them deep where they can fester and grow.
I don’t blame or accuse God for my problems or world problems, but I have asked “why.” I truly believe it is human nature to question and try to find the reasoning behind God’s ways. Most of our “why” questions result from ignorance about who God is or lack of faith in what He is doing.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
I can't help but think that passage is God's way of saying, "Because I said so." As a parent, I used those words with my children, but there’s a big difference: He knows what He's doing, and His ways are perfect, and therefore, He never makes mistakes.
Spending time with Him and cultivating a personal relationship with God teaches us to trust so we can reach out to Him for the hope and comfort we need during disappointments and tragedies. These experiences can also teach us patience and make us more sensitive to others who are suffering. Hard times can cause us to draw nearer to God, demonstrating that Christ lives in us even in the midst of our difficulties, inconveniences, trials, and suffering.
The greatest commandment of all is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. As stated in one of my favorite worship songs, “He is Worthy.”
Blessings,
Peggy Zumhofe
Executive Pastor
