Sometimes I don't get it.
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
Is this true? No harm will befall you? No disaster? Because I know people who trust God and still have miscarriages, still die in car crashes, still get cancer, still have their heart pulverized. That's life, and it sometimes seems like Christians have it worse. Look at Paul.
In the midst of suffering, God is there, but I don't see Him really keeping Christians alive and well longer than anyone else. Isn't that a prosperity gospel?
What is David talking about? This passage is making it hard for me to buy into the Psalms. And I need them. I need the reckless trust that they teach.
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1 comment:
I think there are 2 really important things to remember in reading the Bible. Well, 2 part of one thing: perspective; where the readers and writers are coming from.
1) On the Psalms, specifically: Eugene Peterson says, in The Message Remix, "Most Christians for most of the Christian centuries have learned to pray by praying the Psalms. The Hebrews, with several centuries of a head start on us in matters of prayer and worship, provided us with this prayer book that gives us a language adequate for responding to the God who speaks to us." It's teaching us to pray/praise fearlessly & honestly, pray/praise from what's on our hearts.
2) Psalm 91, specifically: It all depends on what really is "disaster."
A dear woman from my church, Glenna, recently learned that she has stage 4 breast cancer. Her husband found out recently that he has prostate cancer. They've both had major health issues in the past, and her husband nearly died earlier this year. One of her/my church friends said she [the friend] has been "arguing with God" over the hardships that have come. "Isn't there a point where it's just too much, where it's not right for God to let this keep happening?" she asks. But Glenna's response, even though she doesn't want to go through the pain, the hair loss, the difficulties, is, "I know God has a reason and is going to use me in this, whether I live or die."
Sometimes--quite frequently, actually--it's difficult to see something as NOT a disaster. But one person's disaster is another person's opportunity. Maybe not an opportunity we would choose (or maybe we would? I don't know.), but we can still stretch our imaginations and trust that it is for the ultimate glory of God.
Maybe I'm wrong; maybe this isn't what this Psalm is about, but it's how I understand it. I believe so strongly that God's ultimate glory and saved souls is the important thing. I'm not saying I want to experience trouble and hardship, but I can see how they can be opportunities rather than disasters.
Argue/respond as you will.:)
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