Pondering {help}

Day 80. Psalm 80.

This psalm just feels appropriate for the current state of affairs in our country and world. I hope you might go and read Psalm 80 for yourself. I wonder in what way the Word will impact your life today?

Feel the rawness of weary begging. “God, come down!! Fix this terrible situation. This shutdown and isolation feels awful. Come down!!”

Maybe it’s just me, but in this psalm I hear a child complaining to a parent about the pain of his timeout. I hear a child blaming her parent for the brokenness of her life and circumstances.

I hear a child who has been sent to his room to contemplate the consequences of his choices screaming for the parent to come and let him out.

Toward the end the child says that she will never disobey again. I’m fairly sure that in my lifetime I have made that same false claim in an attempt to get out of trouble. However, a loving parent allows the consequence to have it’s full affect.

Then we will never turn back from You. Revive us again, that we may trust in You.
Psalms 80:18 TPT

A maturing child will recognize that the love of the parent has held that parent near. Perhaps right outside the door. Waiting with eager expectation for a breakthrough is the parent who longs for the child to be free.

Our God wants us to be free. He wants to bless us. He delights in showing favor to His children. However, he will not be mocked or ignored or accept that He has been put in second place.

And have you forgotten His encouraging words spoken to you as His children? He said, “My child, don’t underestimate the value of the discipline and training of the Lord God, or get depressed when He has to correct you. For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of His faithful love. And when He draws you to Himself, it proves you are His delightful child.”

Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for He is doing what any loving father does for His children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected?
Hebrews 12:5-7

May our severe timeout have it’s full affect. May the children of God reflect seriously on our own participation in wrongdoing. May we become still in His presence. May we agree with our Good Father that we have done wrong and His discipline is right.

May we ask with intentionality what He wants us to learn from this time. May we seek to grow in the word of God, truth and wisdom and accept our place as children of the Most High God.

Yes, absolutely, let me cry for help. Help me, Lord, because I don’t know how to follow You. Help me, Jesus, as my Shepherd and teach me to wait on You. Teach me to trust Your goodness.