My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 74:9 We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
Psalm 74:10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
Psalm 74:11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!
Asaph is continuing in his struggle with the decimation of the sanctuary of God. Note that in his very lamentation of the conditions the nation is in, he speaks of signs, and that there is no prophet among them that can provide a timeline.
That screams of the human experience, of a man who is desperate to know, to be given guidance, to have someone who can provide answers. There is only silence. Deafening silence.
When a believer in in such a condition, I would suggest it is the worst of times and the best of times. (with apologies to Mr Dickens!)
Worst of Times
The worst of times, since the committed believer has cast in his entire life before the Lord, committed to the way of God, and now is in the middle of a decimation, when all appearances are dire and dark, when there is no communication from on high.
Dare I say that this is not the expectation of the typical believer when he signs up for the faith. If he is taught properly, he should understand, that difficult days will come, that to enter the kingdom of God we should expect many tribulations.
Acts 14:22 …. saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
But in the midst of the tribulation, the trial or the struggle, the believer expects the presence of God to be available, to be near, to be with him.
After all, it is a promise of the very One who suffered for us, who died completely alone, under judgement and abandoned by all, so that we never need be alone.
Matthew 28:20 ….And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Yet it appears Asaph is voicing the very thoughts I have had when going through a trial. The very thoughts many through the years have voiced.
A very quick review of the psalms provides a small sampling of the cries of those before us, when the very presence of God seemed so far away, when He seemed so distant and reluctant to enter into the fight.
Psalm 35:17 How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!
Psalm 79:5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Psalm 89:46 How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?
This feels like an abandonment, a loss of connection, an isolation from the source of life. From the Written Word, we find many instances when the prophet, priest or king has experienced this loss. It seems this is not an uncommon experience for the committed to go through.
It certainly appears we have a conflict in the message. Faithful men of God have voiced the experience of abandonment, as Asaph has in this psalm. And yet the Master has promised to never leave us.
What can we say about this? What is going on?
Best of Times
Given the conditions Asaph was facing, to describe them as the best of times may seem ridiculous. I admit it. To be under persecution, under desolation, to only see the bleak and dark times, AND to not sense the person of God in the midst of the trial is rough. Very rough.
As with Asaph, I could admit that all my thoughts during these difficult times swirl around the struggle, around the doubts and possible further disappointing news in the coming days. No news of rescue, or even hearing of future relief. No one is able to provide a schedule when the Lord will provide relief. The coming days stretch out to a hopeless horizon.
So how is this condition of seeming abandonment the best of times? I realize I have not made a good case for this, but let me try steer the discussion to make the point.
You just need to stay with me till the end.
Remember that the psalmist spoke of no signs for the believer? I think this may hold a clue for the believer to enter into the best of times, even though he has seemingly been abandoned by God.
Asaph seemed to be expecting a sign to find relief, even as I do in the midst of a trial. But even as I refer to signs, I realize I am opening up a pandora’s box of thinking.
What is the intent of signs?
The intent of signs may be multiple, but for this poor ol’ fella, signs were primarily provided to a people group that had depended on signs throughout their history. Even the apostle will give us the general truth of the Jewish mindset towards God.
1 Corinthians 1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
Some demanded signs. We will address that topic in the next portion, but for now, we need to consider that the intent of signs was to point the watcher to a subject. Specifically, signs were to bring the witness to the God who provided the sign. Whether it be Elijah with the fire from heaven or the Son providing sight to the blind, each sign was provided to direct the witness of the sign to the God who provided the sign.
In summary sign were to direct the focus of those who witnessed the sign to God.
Not to provide eye candy, or a mode of life to maintain relationship with God. Imagine the only time your son loves you is when you flash a $50 in front of his eyes? Not an exact comparison, but somewhat similar to providing signs to maintain a relationship. Somewhat beggarly in my mind.
Are signs required?
John 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
It seems during the discussion with the officials request for healing of his son, Jesus declares to the crowd that they need signs. As you may know, I am a citizen of Texas and as a citizen, have learned that to include two or more in a conversation, I use the term y’all.
As far as I understand this passage, if we were to translate Jesus statement in Texan, it might be…..
Unless y’all see signs and wonders y’all will not believe.
It seems there was an element in the crowd that Jesus was calling out to, that had began to require signs from the Lord. Though He healed the officials son, it was remotely, without anyone in the vicinity seeing this miracle, therefore negating the benefit to those demanding it.
Are signs a replacement for faith?
Signs can be wonderful experiences in the believers life, even initiating the faith of the saint. During our walk with the Lord we may experience miracles, mighty works, and amazing coincidences.
As I have testified to many, my family recently experienced a miraculous healing of my little grandson. He was found face down in the pond, not breathing, blue in the face and not responsive. The ambulance came and many thought he was gone.
It was the mercy of God in restoring this little fella, and just a few short days after his recovery, he told his momma that he know who made him.
Amazing grace and mercy! I was on top of the world, telling those I know and those I had never met. It lasted for about a week. Interruptions, distractions and responsibilities brought about a fading of the experience. It is so with all signs.
Don’t get me wrong – I am so thankful for His mercy in restoring little Theodore. He is quite the youngin’
But for the believer, it is the promise of God that stands the test of time. At any time, for any reason, in the midst of any trial, the Word of God is available to strengthen the believer, to focus the believer, to guide the believer, to encourage the believer, even when all feels desperate, dark and hopeless.
When I think of an Old Testament saint who typifies this very truth, I think of David as he was on the brink of mutiny, with his men turning on him, having lost his family and every hope gone. I have spoke on this passage earlier, but 1 Samuel 30:6 is a precious truth in the worst of times
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
David was delivered by God from death even as future king was on the cusp of the grave at this time. He found encouragement in the valley of death in God alone. The Greater Son of David was not delivered from death. Yet He trusted His Father when all was going wrong. And He was delivered through death! What an amazing life Jesus led.
To mimic Him is such a high calling. To simply trust His Word when all of life is in desolation, even when the enemy has run roughshod through our lives, let us always return to the promise of God. Let us experience the best of times with the knowledge that God is with us even when all is falling apart, when all is collapsing, when all is dire and dark.
It is the walk of faith. May we have strength from God to walk it, finding victory even in the midst of disappointments and discouragements.
How did the ol’ prophet describe this walk of faith?
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
He determined/decided to rejoice in the Lord!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
Considering the Bible 