DOES YOUR LIFE POINT
PEOPLE TO CHRIST?
Psalm 40:13-15
13 Be pleased,
O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make
haste to help me!
14 Let those be put
to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my
life;
let those be turned
back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be
appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha,
Aha!”
David has reminded us in
this psalm about the importance of trusting God. He has taken the time to
remember the character of God and how He has given him a sure place to stand
on. God has transformed his life and given him a new song of praise. His
deliverance has been timely, and David’s praise has been clear. David has not
forgotten his own sinfulness, nor the mercy and forgiveness he has found in the
Lord.
David’s problems and
difficulties have not disappeared or become easier to deal with. His enemies
are always ready to find pleasure in his demise. But his past experiences and
what he has learned about his God continue to guide him in his path of trust.
Those who know God have
learned the same things that David did, and should never be moved by
difficulties and circumstances to take matters in their own hands. They should
continue to trust the meticulous sovereignty of God.
I find that all too often, my own thoughts and
efforts are spent in thinking about the ways I want circumstances and people to
change, instead of asking myself how God wants me to change.
When we find ourselves
dealing with difficult situations or people, we become distracted by the
external, instead of thinking about what God is purposing in our lives. We
concentrate on the actions of people we cannot change, instead of asking God to
work in us His perfect will.
David is asking God to
intervene; he is not being fatalistic: he is plainly trusting God to do His
work. He trusts the hand of God. He has learned to trust His character, His
wisdom, His power, and His love.
And he knows that the
outcome is really in the hands of the God who has proved Himself continually faithful.
As we’ve read this psalm, David has walked us through the wonderful truths
about God, the reality of his sinfulness, the assurance of God’s mercy and his
dependence on God.
I know that if I took the
time to remember these aspects in my life, my impatience and disappointment
would fade, giving room to contentment and trust.
I am sure that we all can
think of some things that we would love to see happen in our lives. Life can be
hard; people are ungodly, and at times those who disappoint us the most are fellow
believers, from whom we would expect better behavior. We are constantly faced
with choices: trust God, or take things into our own hands, or become bitter
and unhappy.
Romans 8:28-29
And we know that for those who love God all things
work together for good, for those who are called according to
his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he
also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
We cherish these verses,
but too often we stop at the word “good”, filling in our own definition of what
we think is good for us. When we have decided in our heart what is “good”, we then
become disappointed when the circumstances do not match our definition of
“good”.
We forget that the One who
decides what is good is the One who has a perfect purpose. The circumstances
and people surrounding us are not obstacles to our good, but God’s careful
choice of instruments for His spiritual purpose in us. We were not chosen by
God to be comfortable in this world, but to be conformed to the image of His Beloved
Son.
As we pray to God for His
help to navigate in our circumstances and the behavior of people around us, we
should always be asking ourselves how God is using them to mold us into the
image of Christ. We should ask ourselves if we are resisting His work, or
joyfully submitting to His shaping of us. Our reactions will expose what our
ultimate goals are - our own comfort, or
our desire to be more like Christ.
David, although we are
mindful of his sins and mistakes, has left us a great example of God’s mercy
and work in the life of one of His children. Our past sins should remind us of
God’s mercy, and our present difficulties should drive us to desire God’s
transforming work in our lives.
May our lives bring
attention to God and not to ourselves!
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