The Not So Simple Truth

This morning when I was reading  Psalm 30.  It connected me to the things I have reflected on from Mark 5: 21-43.  The faith that seemed to allow the bleeding woman, and the anxious father, to experience God’s activity present in their lives.  

The Psalmist clearly expresses this experience of knowing God.  Knowing that God is very present to him.

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

A true story! (I read somewhere but can’t remember where.)  

It was about a man who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  He was in the prime of his life. He was devastated by the news.  He and his wife prayed that he might be healed.  I imagine they prayed for that more than once.  

Twenty year went by, he was in the last stages of his Parkinson.  Twenty years of living with what he probably hated.  And yet he told a friend that their prayers had been answered.  He said: “I have been healed.  Not of Parkinson’s, but I have been healed of my fear of Parkinson’s.” 

We have this story from resent history.  And we have the story of Jairus’ daughter and the woman healed of a long history of bleeding.  All stories of how God restores us.  Heals us. And a-long-ago Psalm, written by a real person, who tells his own personal story of his experience of God.

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning… 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever 

The Psalmist use of “the night” as an analogy for human pain and suffering.  Not “the night” that can be measured in hours.  

He uses “the morning”  as the time when relief — “joy” arrives.  

God acts as we move through, what some call, “the dark night of the soul.”  And brings restoration, transformation, that comes out of the pain and anguish.  

And they find “joy.” 

What we are hearing is how our relationship, with God, can and does work.  Just like the stories in the Gospel tell us of the great joy that is experienced after the healing, fear and worry of the woman and Jairus.  

Unlike that story of immediate healing found in some of Jesus’ healings.  The dark night of our souls: fear, anxiousness, worry and weaknesses can last a painfully long time.  It can take days, weeks, month and even years. This kind of healing is what the Psalmist, in my opinion, is talking about.

Point of interest:

The Hebrew word for “night,” used in this Psalm, is nephesh (nif-she).  Which literally means: “the neck, the  throat, the place of life.  When something threatens life”

What the Psalmist is referring to here is his own near-death experience, and he uses terms like:  “Night” — the darkness of life.   “Sheol” — a place of the dead.  The “deep pit” — a grave — place of the dead. 

Very skillfully he reminds his readers/listeners of their need of God in their lives.   He is telling us of how God has been active in his life.  And, that God also acts in our lives as well.   And when God act, in the chaos and pain of our lives, we can find the same extraordinary joy, along with a deep feeling of gratitude.  

After the weeping, comes joy, when we are abled to leave the darkness in God’s capable hands. 

I am quiet sure that all, or most all, human beings live in some form of fear.  Fear of death, dying, living no more.  Or fear of being a burden caused by a long illness. Or ending a long-time abusive relationship or any Fear of loss, pain or many other things that we don’t want to face.

Mine is if something would explode. The thought of being near, or in, an explosion freaks me out.  Its true!  Even my Grandchildren know this.  They are always saying to me: “O Gramma, it’s not going to explode.”

I believe that God is asking us, maybe through the Psalmist, to trust him.  Put our fears in his hands. 

You see, if we don’t pray it away — totally away.  Really, truly, give it to God.   That is open up our hand out-wide asking God to remove whatever is bothering us. But then  not continually  taking it back. The fear will suck the life out of us.  Fear can take the possibility of  joy and mash it into mush.  And slowly, ever-so-slowly, strangles the offer of God’s restoring power.

Fear strangles all hope.  All because we don’t allow — yes I said allow — Got to help us. 

Side note to “trust”:  

So often in church services, or in other places as well, we hear an amazing truth.  We hear that: “God loves us!”  That he accepts us just the way we are.  We hear that he forgives us unconditionally.  That he does provide for all of our needs.   

All of that information is packed into our gray-matter-library of knowledge.  Where most of the time we just know about it; but we don’t take it into ourselves.  That is, we don’t feel it.  Don’t truly believe/trust God’s love is actually for us personally.  

Jesus came to tell us that it is all true for every living soul upon the earth.  

“Don’t fear” he tell us.  “Only believe.”

“Reach out and touch my robe and I will always touch you back.  I will alway hold you close.  I will be with you always.  Always, even when you can’t feel it.”

When Jesus told the people, at Jairus’ house, that: “The child is not dead, but sleeping.”   They laughed!  They didn’t believe him!

But Jesus wasn’t kidding.

Don’t worry.

Do not fear.

Only believe.

It is so very simple!

We make it so hard! 

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!" 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.(Ps. 30)