Too Wonderful For Me

The other day I was composing an email to try to send some comforting words to a friend who had just suffered a devastating loss. As I typed, Psalm 131 flashed into my mind. This short psalm has been such a comfort to me over the years. Written by King David, it is only three verses. 

¹ O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. ² But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. ³ O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

“I don’t involve myself in great matters,” David says in v. 1. “Great matters”- the Hebrew adjective is repeated: “great great.” As if someone were walking through life with a loud voice, acting important.

Nor does he involve himself in things that are “too marvelous” for him. The NIV say “too wonderful.” In Hebrew “wonderful” often refers to God’s miracles. A form of the word is used in Isaiah 9:6 - His Name is wonderful.

Freedom from Anxiety

Last week I spoke at our church on having victory over anxiety. (If you were so inclined, you could listen to it here).

Like most people, I have had my own battle with worry. And probably my list of concerns is similar to yours: health issues, finances, my family, marriage, children and grandchildren, friends, work, the future.  

What I have found over and over again is that the best thing I can do to “win over worry” is to come to my Savior. There is no one better, wiser, kinder, or more able to help than Jesus. He may not always respond in the way I want Him to. But trusting Him and laying my life before Him, giving my burdens to Him to do with as He sees fit, has always been the path to peace.

I love the invitation Jesus gives to take up His yoke in Matthew 11:28-30. Sunday I read a paraphrase with the topic of worry in mind.

Come to Me, all of you who are struggling with worry, and are heavy laden with anxiety and fear. Come to Me, and I will give you rest from the turmoil, and peace from the fear. Instead, take My yoke upon You and learn from Me. It will be My job to lead you and to provide, and your job to follow and to obey. And you will discover that I am gentle and lowly in heart. I know what you’re going through, I’ve walked through it Myself, and I am going to guide you through. You will find rest for your souls. This yoke of Mine, it’s easy, because it’s connecting you to Me. And this burden is light because I’m bearing all the weight.

By the way, I have written about this passage in Come Unto Me, Consolation Prize, From the Pain Clinic Waiting Room, and What I Love About Jesus: "You Have the Words of Eternal Life"

Praying in the Dark

One of the things I admire most about Jesus is His prayer life. His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane has long been a comfort to me.

"Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mark 14:36).

How do you pray when what you’re facing seems too hard to bear? When a terrible trial overburdens you? When you’re facing heartache or disappointment? When the night is so dark you think morning will never come?

Christ felt all these things when He knelt in the Garden, His closest friends asleep and His immediate future unimaginably sorrowful. How He prayed shows us how we should pray.

1. Pray like a little child, coming to his father. “Abba, Father.” Abba is a little child’s word for his daddy. All of us in Christ can come to the Father this way (cf. Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).
2. Pray in faith. “All things are possible for you.” Jesus knew, and so should we, that nothing can stand in the way of our Father’s limitless power (cf. Mt. 19:26).
3. Pray with boldness. “Remove this cup from me.” We’re invited to come to the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16), to ask boldly for what we want. (God is too wise and too good to say “yes” to everything we ask. He said no to His own Son.)
4. Pray in submission. “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” ...we do not stop after bringing God our request. Instead...we balance our aspirations and our desires with submission to God's assignment. We leave the outcome to God.  (Robert Bugh, When the Bottom Drops Out, p. 41. Thanks to my friend Bob, for recommending this book.)
   

No wonder Jesus’ disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Storm at Sea

Ever been awake in the wee hours, knotted up with worry, knocked around by the unknowns of the economy or your health or family troubles? Sometimes it feels like no one knows or cares

Jesus’ disciples knew the feeling. They were buffeted by a terrible storm, in a little boat on a dark sea with no one to help them. It was after an exhausting but fulfilling day of ministry. Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes, fed five thousand, and stretched the faith of the Twelve. But then He dismissed the crowd, sent His disciples off across the sea, and went up on the mountain to be with His Father.

Did His disciples wonder why He left them? Were they experiencing confusion? Disappointment? Whatever they felt, their voyage certainly didn’t seem like a victory cruise. The wind was against them and it was tough going.

But even while He was praying, even in the darkness before dawn, even at a distance to make human sight impossible, Jesus was watching and saw their trouble. Here’s how Mark recorded it: And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. Mark 6:48, ESV

And He came to them, walking on the sea. This is a Savior to admire! It’s not easy to hang on in the darkness while the wind lashes and the sea roils. But you’re not alone and He has not lost track of you.

He is praying, but He is also watching. He sees us in the storm. He knows every heartache and every trouble.

And He will come to us, Master of it all, walking on the sea. And nothing can stand in His way.