Saturday, January 23, 2010

Read With Me: Week 3

I missed posting on week 3 of the Read With Me (1 year bible reading plan)...but I'm still reading.

I am enjoying it so- very- much.

We cover quite a bit in a week - entirely too much to write about it all in this post, so I want to share one thing I took away from the last seven days.

Psalm 22 was part of the reading for this week.

Reading it was timely.

Especially in light of a conversation I had with my twelve year old son.

"I know you say that God is with me, but sometimes, Mom, I feel like God isn't with me."


He's in good company. There are many men (and women) in the bible who have felt the same way.

King David penned these words:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me?
So far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
Psalm: 22:1-2

But then, in verse 4, he says something interesting:

In you our fathers put their trust;
They trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved.
In you they trusted and were not disappointed.

I love David's honesty.

I love that he's say's what's on his mind: Lord where are you? I am desperately alone.

But he also remembers the TRUTH: Lord, I know I can trust you, because you have faithfully answered the prayers of those I live my life with...with those who have walked before me.


But then....

In spite of his doubt, He chooses to set his heart on Truth, he sets his heart on the Lord.

In verse 22 he declares:

...I will praise you.


And encourages us to do the same:

You who fear the Lord praise him!


It is very difficult to explain why a Holy God does what He does. 


In many ways we aren't meant to know.


But, we can and must remember that God does love us. He does hear us. He never leaves us. He alone is sufficient. We can come to Him with all of our feelings and thoughts and misunderstandings, because He knows them anyway.

When we feel alone, we praise the God who is always with us, even when our feelings tell us He isn't there!

All right, Read with Me Gals, let press forward into another week!

2 comments:

Tiffani said...

I am SO enjoying this too...I haven't posted at all yet (just in the comments section over at Tanya's).

I am loving this. Especially with the version I'm choosing to read with. I've never read for reading sake with such excitement.

I love your sweet Boys honest heart and your sweet Mama response to him...

Gretchen said...

Um...I would be a read w/me posting slacker. Need to get on that. I'm with you, though--it's been timely in so many ways. Love that boy of yours (& your awesome relationship).