Continuing In Trust – March 01, 2024 (68/365)

You know, I thought I was just going to let things slide for now, but I also feel like I absolutely have to go ahead and type before the clock hits 12, on this last hour of the first night of the last month of the first quarter of the year.

I started off pretty bad, slacking off for as long as I could before blitzing through my morning deliverables… as time allowed. But unfortunately, soon as I actually had some free time, the thought of just slacking off considering all that’s been done and typed and talked about for the past four weekdays, that was a pretty darn strong temptation to give in to.

So I didn’t do much this afternoon… and as soon as I took the first couple steps towards doing the rest of the day’s tasks (including typing here) – well, we lost power. And instead of hitting the books (while there was daylight, mind you), I thought it would be a good idea… to nap.

Soon as I pushed myself out of bed, well, that’s when I started moving again – but not before I drove my Mom to a nearby store for bread and other groceries.

And when all that was out of the way? Well, that’s when the magic resumed. And here I am, again, literally at the eleventh hour, trying to churn out stuff in my head that needs to be on here… or it’s probably more likely that I just want to make space in the ol’ noggin before I lay my head to rest.

I’m not sure if I ever shared it on here yet but every Friday, I have the opportunity to head out to a certain school I help out, to talk to them during their weekly gathering – ‘Chapel Time’, they call it. I usually spend around 10-15 minutes just talking to them about what I had in mind, making sure that I link it what what I spoke about the last time.

So far for this year, 2024, I’ve been talking to them about trusting in the Lord, loving one another, appreciating His presence… and I was going to continue the chain of insights literally around 12 hours ago, but I had to go ahead and sit in on some presentations that the kids were going to share this coming Sunday, to observe and give feedback.

…let’s just say that it was pretty dismal, too substandard that I felt the need to do some rare rebuking.

Anyway. Speaking on continuing the chain it was my intention to walk with them through Psalm 61 – as today is the 61st day of the year 2024, as opposed to it being the 60th day on any other year that doesn’t observe February 29.

By the way, I’m sorry, I skipped writing on that leap day… But I did post pictures. If January was crazy, February was… well, as the pop-up waffle stand we stumbled upon was named, February was Wacko.

Psalms 61

Lead Me to the Rock

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. OF DAVID.

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!

May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

For lack of time… I think I’ll focus on the first third of this beautiful portion of Scripture.

Coming from our usual perspective of seeing this from the lens of the finished work of Christ, we can say that through Christ’s birth, death, resurrection and ascension, we can say that the Lord has heard our cries, the Lord has listened to our prayers, though we call from the end of the earth, and though we call out when our hearts are faint.

However, considering the timeless nature of our eternal Christ, I believe that not only has He responded (past tense), but He also responds, real-time – The true nature, rather, the true impact of His finished work is that it is absolutely absolute; that is, He responded for ALL time – He HAS responded, IS responding, and WILL respond.

With that said I believe we can venture to claim that if we DO call out to Him from the ends of the earth when our hearts our faint, at this present time – Not only do we find peace in the fact that He HAS responded, but He IS responding, and WILL respond, according to (1) His infinite power, (2) His eternal wisdom, and most importantly (3) His everlasting love.

So Christ has answered the question of IF God responds with a resounding, undeniable ‘yes’. With what? Well, again, divine power, wisdom, and love.

But HOW does He respond, in all these circumstances we find ourselves crying out to Him for? While I understand that it will always be a case to case basis, I believe that it comes through a basis we could read from David’s writing – That is, however He DOES respond:

He responds, first and foremost, with glory (as the Rock who is absolutely higher than we are, Creator absolutely above creation).

This is important to think about, actually – because we need to understand that this God who does respond; Well, as He says through Isaiah, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.

And with that I venture to believe that His responses are not according to our responses… but they are ABSOLUTELY superior to anything that we could ever think about.

So with that said, when we say stuff like He responds with our well-being and safety in mind (as our refuge), and He responds because He is for us, and against our enemy (as our strong tower), there is the chance that we may never actually see His response, but we know that He has/is/will respond.

There is the chance that we may even see things turn for the worse according to what our senses observe and dictate, but we are still at peace, knowing that He has/is/will respond.

And it’s this trust which I believe is the basis for how David chooses to follow through – Because He knows that God listens, and He knows that God responds, His ultimate cry is to trust in Him – that is, He wants to dwell in His tent forever, and He thinks it’s best to take refuge under His wings.

Considering we’ve finished two turbulent months so far, I see no better confirmation of the call we have for this year – to trust in the Lord. No accident that we read Psalm 61 today, the first of this month.

Let us keep on trusting in the Lord, consequently thanking our Savior Jesus Christ for making it possible for us to run to His throne in our time of need.

Let’s have a good month ahead! God bless us all!

68411/365000

#2024YearOfTrust #Psalms #Bible #Reflections #Revelations #GodsGlory #TrustInGod