White Knuckler

"To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." [REFERENCE]

We would all admit that life is sometimes like a roller coaster, a real white knuckler. So, we hang on for dear life, through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, knowing the ride will end eventually. David, in Psalm 28, starts at the bottom considering God not hearing him or speaking to him. He rather graphically describes that feeling, saying basically that to have God not hear or speak would be like hell. If you have ever felt like God didn’t hear you or wasn’t speaking to you, it is like hell, eternal separation from God

Then David, in seven verses, goes from the bottom of all spirituality to the picture in the 9th verse of being carried in Jesus the shepherd’s arms forever; probably the best description of the height of the spiritual experience. How do you get from the bottom to the top in seven verses? Let me run down the progression in seven brief descriptions of how that can happen for us, too.

In verse 2, David cries for mercy and prays and worships (a key start) In verse 3, He separates himself from the wicked In verse 4, David lets God handle his angst about people and their judgment In verse 5, He recognizes that vengeance is the Lords In verse 6, He praises God knowing he has been heard In verse 7, He claims the promise of God’s strength and shielding and David trusts God In verse 8, He claims the promise of God’s strength and shielding for all God’s people.

You see, David knew how to deal with life’s trouble and did so with prayer, worship, self-discipline, release of anger, judgment and revenge, praise, trust, and embracing and objective truth. The progression of how he handles his issues is a great example for us.

So next time your rollercoaster starts up, try David’s method, instead of yours. You know the one we fall into……denial, avoidance, depression, destruction, lashing out, and complaining…….. just to mention a few that I am familiar with sometimes.

Instead of seeing yourself far from God, picture yourself in His arms forever. What a difference that makes.

His, Pastor Fred

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