Who Could Stand?

I have been camped in Psalms for several months now. Today I was in Psalms 130. I'd like to share with you what I learned there, by pulling apart this scripture little bit at a time. It's long, I know but plug through it and I think it will encourage your heart. It did mine.

Psalms 130:1-4
1 Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. 2 Lord hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Sounds to me like this person is struggling with an issue,(duh right?) Perhaps his life has either taken a turn for the worst or perhaps he is struggling with a sinful behavioral pattern. By that I mean that besetting sin, spoken of in Hebrews 12:1 . . . and the sin that so easily besets us. That habitual sin that just plagues us, one we struggle getting victory over. He pleads with God to hear his voice, his cry, his supplications. I don't think he's just asking once or quietly, I think he's crying, begging and screaming out to God for His help, His ear, His attention! He has sinned, missed the mark he knew he was supposed to aim for. Something was not right in his life.
3 If You, Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? I love this verse. It makes a statement about who he knows God to be. Israel has a covenant relationship with God. God promised them the land and blessings if they obey, curses if they disobey. That was God's part, Israel promised to obey and do all the words that were spoken, taught, given to them by Moses and all the leaders that followed after him. They promised before God they would keep their part of this covenant as a nation forever. (Deuteronomy. 11:26; 29;30:1, 19, Joshua 8:34-35) We don't really understand covenant in our culture but they did in that culture. We are a nation, a people of promise breakers, not promise keepers. We do not hold to the sanctity of a"covenant" in anything, marriage, obeying authorities, child obeying parents, we just don't take covenant promises seriously. This person did. He understood that He had broken his promise, his part of the covenant with a living God. But I love what his statement implies. The word "Mark" in Hebrew according to Strong's means"careful attention which was paid to the obligation of a covenant; a narrow watching; lying in wait for someone to ambush him." God does not "MARK" lay in wait to catch, 'that ah ha! caught you, Now I'll really let you have it". God doesn't operate that way. Because if God did operate that way, according to this writer and the rest of scripture, WHO COULD STAND? We'd all be toast, had not Jesus made for us the way, the path to be forgiven and experience this forgiveness spoken of here. Grace!

Let's move on . . .

4 But . .. (whenever you see a "but" in scripture, stop and be prepared to turn a different direction, a corner; moving one way then turning to another) But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
So here's the corner, He changed from talking about his sin and his screw up in life, not minimizing it, but to understanding who God is and how He deals with us and our sin. Do you see the corner? No longer is it about him but about who God is, who He promised to be in that covenant relationship. (side note and this one's for free: You want to get rid of the stinking thinking in your life, those tapes that say over and over your are worthless, have no value, a real screw up? Focus on who God is, who you find Him to be in scripture, who you know, not feel, He is. That's renewing your mind like Romans 12:1&2 talks about, changing direction, focusing on God and His truth, not the lies Satan wants you to believe)

Let's look at "forgiveness" in the Hebrew. Strong's defines it as :to pardon, be gentle, show oneself merciful. That stand in complete contrast; the total opposite of "marking iniquities". Sure God sees them but is merciful and gentle to pardon, forgive.

I love the use of the word, "with" it could say "from" but the writer uses "with" which implies abiding, relationship, why? So that You (God) may be feared. What does "feared" mean? It means revered, reverenced, but I think it almost speaks to the heart relationship between this person and God. He was choosing to honor his promise to God to give up his right to living like he wants to live, choosing instead to submit the control of his life to God's authority, leadership, and love. Accepting His forgiveness; believing that God is who He says He is and that God keeps His covenant promise to us. There is relationship here!

So here's the take away for me . . . Lord I'm going to cry out to you with the screw ups in my life, expecting you, because you don't and can't break your promises, that you will forgive me and I can once again abide in that loving, relationship with you.That abiding place where I live in safety as I chose to submit my life and will to you. I choose today to follow your way not mine, accepting your gift of forgiveness.

Grace and mercy abound as we lay our stuff down at His feet, as often as we need, and seek to focus our life on Him, trusting He will keep His covenant promises. I'm encouraged by that because I mess up a lot. I hope you are encouraged as well.

Why can't I hear from God?

Have you ever tried to read God's word and just can't get what's being said? Or you know that you should understand it but you just cannot hear from God. Why doesn't He speak to me? Does He care? What's up with this?

I was there this morning. My walk with the Lord is good and typically I hear from Him in His word. So when I don't hear from Him, I have to look at me. See, God always wants to speak to His children. If you meet Him, He always shows up, but He cannot be heard over sin. Sin shouts, rattles, bangs or literally plugs the ears of your heart to God. That's why the steps of recovery are so amazing. Once you get past making amends and cleaning out your sin closet, so to speak, you need to keep it clean. I'll give you an example of my closet, please understand I'm not a fabulous housekeeper; not a real neat freak, but I have been working on keeping our closet clean and organized. It took me a full day to get rid of clothes, and refold and hang all the shirts in one place and put neat stacks, you get the idea right? It took a full day. Now that it's done, the real challenge is keeping it that way! Idon't want to go back to the OLD CLOSET! The "cleaning" is like steps four and five of recovery, but it's the daily inventory step that keeps my closet clean. My life clean before the Lord so I can hear from Him in His word.

What does a daily inventory look like?

How do I keep short accounts with God so I can hear from Him?

Here's some questions I ask myself when I can't hear God.

1. Have I done something I know is wrong?
2. Have I hurt someone?
3. Was I prideful or mean?
4. Have I not done something I know I should do?

If I ask, " Lord what is keeping me from hearing from you?" and then just be still . . God will show me. The "BE STILL" part is important. I do mean be still, quite, no wiggling, just still. God will reveal it to you. Once He reveals your sin . . . deal with it, confess it, make it right, do whatever God tells you to do. It's called obedience.

Roman 6:23 says the wages, (payment) of sin is death. We typically see this in reference to salvation and that is true. If you don't accept the free gift of payment for your sin by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross to pay for that sin, then you have to pay for your sin yourself. Salvation is once for all, all my sin forgiven, past present and future. But I think this verse could also means that if you don't deal with your sin, daily, straighten that closet of your life, then you are separated from God in fellowship,relationship, closeness, that hearing from Him that He desires. Clear communication with Him, from Him, not plugged up by sin.

1 John 1:9 tells us "If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Want to hear from God? Ask Him what's stopping you; listen and respond in obedience.