Psalm 4
Distress
You know what's really distressing? Life. I mean, really. Maybe your life isn't all that distressing, and praise God! But my life hasn't been rainbows and unicorns. Most people's aren't. On top of that, I chose a profession that is by nature adversarial, and am entering a subsection of that profession that is adversarial over really distressing things, like abuse and rape.
It's not pretty. Sin is ugly. There is trauma and brokenness and shame. We're surrounded by it. We are sinners and sufferers, all. And the affects of sin- our sin against God, our sin against others, our sin against ourselves, others' sin against us...humanity sits in its own filth, and there's no stopping it. Not on our own.
Grace
And yet, God pities the weak. He comforts the weary. He relieves the distressed. He is gracious and he hears our prayers. Often, we won't be able to see help coming. We're too blind, too frustrated, too distressed. We will ask "How long?" "Why?" "What is going on?" It is easy to focus on the brokenness because there is so much of it, but those who seek the One who will "show us some good" will find Him. He promises us that much.
Response
God will draw near to you. In fact, He is already near you. He calls out to his children, as he is already running to them with open arms. I heard a fantastic sermon at Mars Hill by Justin Holcomb on this topic. The Gospel is about saving. It's about redemption. It's about God calling us to Himself, but knowing that we can't move, so he comes to us. It's about God coming as a man to live the life we could not live and die the death we should have died. God gives us His righteousness and reprieve.
So though we are angry at the brokenness and we grieve, we can do so without sinning. We can have hope in knowing that God has set aside his children for Himself. He has bought them with his blood and is never, ever giving them up. He will protect His own, and He will rescue those who put their trust in Him. He will be the one to show us good and put joy in our hearts.
We will be safe, and we will find rest.
You know what's really distressing? Life. I mean, really. Maybe your life isn't all that distressing, and praise God! But my life hasn't been rainbows and unicorns. Most people's aren't. On top of that, I chose a profession that is by nature adversarial, and am entering a subsection of that profession that is adversarial over really distressing things, like abuse and rape.
It's not pretty. Sin is ugly. There is trauma and brokenness and shame. We're surrounded by it. We are sinners and sufferers, all. And the affects of sin- our sin against God, our sin against others, our sin against ourselves, others' sin against us...humanity sits in its own filth, and there's no stopping it. Not on our own.
Grace
And yet, God pities the weak. He comforts the weary. He relieves the distressed. He is gracious and he hears our prayers. Often, we won't be able to see help coming. We're too blind, too frustrated, too distressed. We will ask "How long?" "Why?" "What is going on?" It is easy to focus on the brokenness because there is so much of it, but those who seek the One who will "show us some good" will find Him. He promises us that much.
Response
God will draw near to you. In fact, He is already near you. He calls out to his children, as he is already running to them with open arms. I heard a fantastic sermon at Mars Hill by Justin Holcomb on this topic. The Gospel is about saving. It's about redemption. It's about God calling us to Himself, but knowing that we can't move, so he comes to us. It's about God coming as a man to live the life we could not live and die the death we should have died. God gives us His righteousness and reprieve.
So though we are angry at the brokenness and we grieve, we can do so without sinning. We can have hope in knowing that God has set aside his children for Himself. He has bought them with his blood and is never, ever giving them up. He will protect His own, and He will rescue those who put their trust in Him. He will be the one to show us good and put joy in our hearts.
We will be safe, and we will find rest.
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