ZIP THE LIP? REALLY? (Psalm 39)

Part of an ongoing series on the 48 psalms recommended by pastor-counselor David Seamands for people struggling with depression.

When things don’t go our way, the natural reaction is to gripe to others about it. But David struggled with a “spiritual muzzle,” if you will. He didn’t want to sin by complaining about God.  He lived long before the advice of the apostle Paul: “In everything give thanks” (see Philippians 4:6-7). But the David who wrote Psalm 38 was miserable in every way—sick and tired of it. If we’d been in his sandals without reliable medical help, we’d probably also complain that God hadn’t vaccinated us from the world’s woes. 

David says he tried to tame his tongue and muzzle his mouth “as long as the wicked are in my presence” (v. 1). But without good news to share, his self-control burst. Some testimony his “woe is me” showed unbelievers!  But right away. David reflects on wisdom gleaned from saints who preceded him. He quotes Moses from Psalm 90 about the brevity of life, then brings up Job questioning why God was so heavy-handed with him (Job 13:21). In other words,  David implies that he’s not the first to experience how life is no bed of roses, even for those who love and follow God.

PERSPECTIVE

By this time, David’s getting to some essential truths: that we weren’t created for this world. “Faith” is not about getting what we want now. It’s “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1)—what ancients from Abel on through Abraham, the patriarchs, Moses, the judges and prophets, and martyrs of the faith lived for and died by. We’re in prep for that heavenly “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

Must we “zip the lip” when we’re hurting? It’s not a “yes” or “no” answer.  We’re to watch out for complaining to others (especially unbelievers) about our jobs, money or personal situations when doing so causes these people to think God can’t take care of us. It’s wrong to gripe when it comes out as blaming God. Unbelievers will jump at anything to discredit the love and wisdom of God.  And marginal believers won’t be helped at all!  

Tell your woes privately to God?  Absolutely. Ask Him for perspective, strength and perseverance. He promises to supply. Seek God-honoring counsel from those equipped through life experience or training? Yes. You may need help in achieving “attitude correction.” As Moses affirmed in this psalm that David paraphrased:

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

For as many years as we have seen trouble. (Psalm 90:14-15)

Finally, in the “for what it’s worth department,” I wrote this note in the margin of my Bible beside Psalm 90:12: “Kum Ba Yah,” plus a music note. The old camp song (“come by here”) seemed to match David’s plea, “Hear my prayer, O Lord.” 

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 27: Light

Part of a continuing series of selected Psalms.
When I sense cares and worries trying to take over, I check my “light intake.”  Are the curtains and blinds open during the day, so I get enough sunshine? Am I augmenting that with walks to ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder (with its appropriate acrostic SAD)?   More important, am I seeking  the spiritual “light therapy” of Psalm 27?  Best known for its opening line, “The Lord is my Light,” Psalm 27 is for any of us who need the reminder that God is greater than life’s dark times. The psalm’s subtitle simply says, “Of David.” The descriptions of danger fit the years David lived in constant fear of being killed before assuming the throne. The middle section of the psalm contains a “lament” or woe-is-me section. But it’s sandwiched by affirmations that God is on his side.

I find it interesting that the composer of a famous operatic rendering of Psalm 27 also struggled with life. Mary Francis Allitsen (1848-1912) hoped to make a living as musician, but her family was hostile toward that choice. She suffered health issues, including the loss of her singing voice, yet managed to have several musical compositions published and performed. Her “The Lord is My Light,” published in 1897, is based on Psalm 27:1-6. But to fully understand Psalm 27, we need verses 7-14. After David expresses confidence in God (vv. 1-6), he admits his anxious fears (7-12), then returns to trusting God (13-14). Each part has a generous portion of memorable phrases and truths.

LIGHT, SALVATION, STRONGHOLD

Verse 1, “The Lord is my light,” is the only time in the Old Testament that God is actually called “light.” The metaphor appears more frequently in the New Testament. John began his gospel referring to God as “light” (John 1:4, 9). He repeated it in his epistle: “God is light” (1 John 1:5). Jesus even called Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12). Revelation 21:23 says heaven’s illumination will be God, “for the glory of God gives it light.” It’s a metaphor that defies a simple definition, characterizing God’s purity, power to dispel darkness, joy, life and hope.

David also calls God “my salvation,” or deliverer. God is a “stronghold” (“strength” in the KJV), from a Hebrew word for a fortified place. The point is that God isn’t “out there” when life get hard. Because He is with us, we need not fear. The New Testament counterpart to this is Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” No matter the strategy of the enemy—a quick attack or a long siege—David placed his trust in God to carry him through.

The source of David’s amazing trust is fellowship with God (vv. 4-6). As a fugitive, David couldn’t worship at “God’s house” in Jerusalem (then a sacred tent sheltering the ark; the magnificent temple wouldn’t be built until Solomon’s time). Although yearning for the energy of corporate worship in Jerusalem, David found ways in his wilderness exile to draw close to God.  In expressing a desire to “dwell in the house of the Lord” (v. 4), David may have been thinking of hospitality customs of his times. In the ancient Near East, when someone welcomed another into his tent, he took responsibility for the visitor’s protection and provision. David put that frame on his relationship with God: “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling” (v. 5). He adds the picture of being safely perched on a strong, high rock that enemies cannot scale (v. 5).

DARK, LONELY, VULNERABLE

 Right after this magnificent declaration of trust, David rides a pendulum to the other side. The darkness seems to hide God’s face, a symbol of divine favor. David realizes he’s a sinful human, calling out to a holy God. This sounds a lot like what we might hear today from people: “I’m not good enough for God to hear my prayer,” or “I never got into this God-thing.  Why would He listen to me?” Such comments miss the truth of God’s mercy.

In imagining God’s rejection, David also felt very lonely, like a child rejected by his parents. As far as known, David’s parents never disowned him. But this verse has resonated with many people who had imperfect parents who weren’t there for them or who hurt them physically or emotionally. This “what-if” has a hopeful ending: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me” (v. 10). God is the perfect parent—a fact that has helped many people wounded by their families. David also felt vulnerable before foes who used both physical and verbal weapons (vv. 11-12). He was anxious and discouraged, the emotional opposites of his opening declarations of confidence.

 

RETURN TO CONFIDENCE

The psalm has a real-world ending. Our life stories don’t always take the plot lines we desire. Good people suffer. Bad people seem to win—for now. But God is still on the throne. He does answer prayer—either “yes,” “no,” “another way,” or—as this psalm points out, “wait”:
            Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (v. 14)
David could be satisfied without instant solutions because He believed that God, as light, was at work in dispelling the dark fears and anxieties of his life. Right now, the curtains of life seemed locked shut. But He trusted God in the darkness, and in faith was willing to wait. How much like the New Testament’s definition of “faith”: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1)!

Psalm 27 teaches us to take things a day at a time with God. Faith and trust are the cords that can part the curtains of our “Sin Affective Disorder,” letting the brilliance of God’s perfect light pour in.    

Next time: Psalm 32