Skip to main content

When Life Gets Messy

                 Many people know and love the Psalms of David, but do you know the one written by Herman the Ezrahite?   It seems that no one knows Herman’s contribution to the word of God.  However, Psalm 88 is worth some thought simply because it is a total, start to finish, song of complaint. 
The Psalms record a variety of emotions and one of the benefits of them is that they give us permission to be real with God.  Normally, though, they end on a high note.  Unfortunately, that is not true here.  Herman’s psalm concludes with these words: “Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me… your terrors have destroyed me... All day long they surround me like a flood… darkness is my closest friend” (verses 16-18). 
                If Herman was standing here, what would you say to him?  More to the point, what should we do when all we can see is trouble and hope seems out of reach?
                Jesus gave a one word answer:  Abide! 
                “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains (Abides) in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing!” (John 15:5).  As he fills out this picture in the rest of the chapter, one thing becomes very clear; We must understand which end of the branch we are to focus on. 
Too often, I focus on the fruit producing end.  I try to force growth and make things happen.  I try to control people and situations so that things turn out the way I think is best.  However, that is not my job!   My job is to focus on the other end of the branch.  My job is to stay connected to the vine!  If I stay connected to Jesus, he will produce the fruit and make things happen in my life.  Just in case we missed that point, he underlines it by saying, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine” (verse 4).
So, what would I say to Herman or to anyone, myself included, when life seems messy?  I would say, “Keep praying.  Keep focusing on God and his promises.  Keep trusting that he is going to make something good happen”. 
           You cannot fix or control everything. Fortunately, that is not your job!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more