Mostly I wanted to share this
Psalm and let is speak for itself, but I will add a few thoughts here and
there. The Psalmist seems to start
out so positive, so pumped about God and all he does for us. There are no illusions of power; we do
not accomplish anything in our strength.
God must be the one that fights for us. The author knows who God is and the history of His work
among the people. Read on for the
Interlude that changes everything…
O God, we have heard it with
our own ears—
our ancestors have told us
of all you did in their day,
in days long ago:
You drove out the pagan nations by your
power
and gave all the land to our ancestors.
You crushed their enemies
and set our ancestors free.
They did not conquer the land with their
swords;
it was not their own strong arm that
gave them victory.
It was your right hand and strong arm
and the blinding light from your face
that helped them,
for you loved them.
You are my King and my God.
You command victories for Israel.
Only by your power can we push back our
enemies;
only in your name can we trample our
foes.
I do not trust in my bow;
I do not count on my sword to save me.
You are the one who gives us victory
over our enemies;
you disgrace those who hate us.
O God, we give glory to you all day long
and constantly praise your name.
Interlude
How quickly things can change
with some tough times. We face an
interlude of devastation and the questions start, Eight verses of praise turn
into fifteen of groaning and questions.
A dear friends of ours lost their daughter to a drunk driver this
summer, a single mom we love has just lost her job and does not know what is
next for her and her five kids, my colleague in Nigeria died a month ago of a
heart attack that shocked everyone.
How is that for some Interludes?
Hear the hurt and frustration get poured out to God. Can you feel the heart bursting out in
pain and sorrow?
But now you have tossed us aside in
dishonor.
You no longer lead our armies to battle.
You make us retreat from our enemies
and allow those who hate us to plunder
our land.
You have butchered us like sheep
and scattered us among the nations.
You sold your precious people for a
pittance,
making nothing on the sale.
You let our neighbors mock us.
We are an object of scorn and derision
to those around us.
You have made us the butt of their
jokes;
they shake their heads at us in scorn.
We can’t escape the constant
humiliation;
shame is written across our faces.
All we hear are the taunts of our
mockers.
All we see are our vengeful enemies.
All this has happened though we have not
forgotten you.
We have not violated your covenant.
Our hearts have not deserted you.
We have not strayed from your path.
Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s
desert home.
You have covered us with darkness and
death.
If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread our hands in prayer to foreign
gods,
God would surely have known it,
for he knows the secrets of every heart.
But for your sake we are killed every
day;
we are being slaughtered like sheep.
Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Get up! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you look the other way?
Why do you ignore our suffering and
oppression?
We collapse in the dust,
lying face down in the dirt.
Rise up! Help us!
Ransom us because of your unfailing
love.
Interludes are not always
about mistakes we have made, sins we have committed – we may very well be able
to argue our case from the standpoint of the righteous. And sometimes God waits beyond what we
think we are able to bare. If you
have not hit an Interlude like this, chances are you will because life can be
really hard. Or perhaps you are in
one right now. Pour out your questions,
express your hurt. Do it. But do it in the context of God, put it
in the frame of who God is, how He has acted in the past, and your expectations
of His deliverance in the future. Challenge
God to act out of who you know He is as savior and deliverer, your only
hope. He will be faithful, even
after an Interlude.