“Feeling overwhelmed?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, September 16, 2022
Psalm 69:1-21, 29-36 (Forward, p. 49) CEV p. 595
In the Great Depression musical drama, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” the hapless trio of Ulysses, Delmer and Pete end up being delivered, from what was certainly to be their death by hanging, by a sudden flood. A scene toward the end of the movie shows the three of them bobbing around in the flood waters, safe and sound, surrounded by hundreds of snuff containers. It really is quite humorous.
But the actual experience of almost drowning in floods and raging rivers is not humorous, not in the least. Courtesy of modern television coverage and You Tube videos, one can now view footage of what this is like in real life. And, of course, this is all the more real and vivid, given the recent, massive, and severe flooding in Pakistan.
And so the image of our psalmist, David, feeling overwhelmed, swamped, by his woes is very real. He has numerous enemies that want him dead, people that are out to destroy him. And even people in authority, rulers and judges—and yes, even drunkards--are gossiping about him and making fun of him. Even his own family and relatives are treating him like a stranger and foreigner. So indeed, he feels beset by trouble on every side.
And yet, in the midst of his troubles and anguish, he does not give up—or at least, does not give up on God. He pours out his woes to God, expecting that God will indeed hear him and respond to his cries. Indeed, he alleges that some of his problems are actually a product of his love and faithfulness towards God, which certainly can sometimes produce ‘issues’. Anyway, he knows, without even a thread of doubt that he is loved and cared for by God. And so, David pleads for God’s help, and even though the need is urgent, is willing to be patient and wait upon the Lord’s timing.
I think that he is a great example and role model in this, for we all go through such experiences from time to time. Amen.
Forward notes: “O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you” (verse 6)..
“When I think about some of the things I’ve done, I feel foolish. I’ve sometimes worried for days or weeks about the logistics for an upcoming trip or event. Then the moment arrives, and none of my fears come to pass. The plane takes off on time, we arrive early, and I easily find the location. People are kind to me, and I enjoy myself.
“Or there are the times when I buy something on a whim—a dress that doesn’t flatter me, a book I will never read, a snack with too much sugar. I berate myself: I foolishly bought something I didn’t really need or even want. What was I thinking?
“If you want to know some of your faults, ask a teenager. You’ll get an unvarnished answer and may wind up feeling foolish. That’s why I find this passage comforting. God knows my foolishness. Our creator knows that I sometimes make bad choices or worry instead of trusting. God has seen it all. God knows my faults and my weaknesses. He created me. And guess what? He loves me anyway.”
Moving Forward: “Does this verse bring you comfort? How can you offer your moments of foolishness to God?”
A concluding note: further to what our author mentions, isn’t it wonderful that our Lord doesn’t hold off on helping us because of our foolishness or faults. Far too often, we, in our interactions with others, want them to ‘buck up’, make some ‘course corrections’ and get their lives in order, before (or sometimes, in order) we will go ahead and help them. I thank God that He is not like that. He helps us anyway.
