Bible Reflections From Scripture Union Volume OneSample

Rescue Me! Read Psalm 43:1-5 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Psalm 43:3 Psalms 42 and 43 are two parts of a single poem. The anguish expressed in Psalm 42 does not abate. Note the repetition of the two ‘Why’ questions. The oppression of the enemy has not been removed. When trials linger, the spirit may languish. We may succumb to the persuasion of well-meaning friends and family members to seek help from mediums and feng shui experts. Take a lesson here from the writer of the psalm. He does not look elsewhere for help. He persists in his dependence on God alone. Hear his cry to the Lord: ‘Vindicate me, plead my cause, rescue me’ (v 1). He acknowledges his inability to help himself. Do we lean on our own prowess, ingenuity and connections to deliver us from our troubles? Have we sought quick-fix-it solutions from occult powers? We must repent of these detestable practices (Jeremiah 2:13-19). God allows times of trials and distress in our lives. Much as we would like them to, they do not vanish overnight, not even with earnest prayer and fasting. We would be soft, God desires us to be strong. An ageing parent, a major surgery, a rebellious teenager: in these drought seasons of our lives we may ask God our ‘Why’ questions. We will not descend into the quagmire of despair. Let us hasten to echo the psalmist’s petition (v 3). Then we will know the steps to take, we will discern rightly and we will rejoice in God (v 4). The saints of God testify to this glorious truth. A deep heart-cry for God pulsates through both psalms. Adversity, it is rightly observed, greatly increases our capacity for God. When we reach the end of our tether, we reach out for the hand of God. The refrain (the edifying soul talk) aptly concludes this psalm. The writer is still far away from home. His troubles have not waned. But his hope in God is steadfast. He will not be moved. Lord keep me steadfast in You.