Have you ever read Psalms 77?
This is a very interesting chapter to me because the scripture records a song written by a music minister named Asaph who is obviously going through one of the most difficult times of his life. In fact, things are so bad for him, this worship leader asks some pretty "whiny" questions directly to God that at first glance seem pretty inappropriate. For example,
"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld His compassion?" Psalms 77:7-9
The first time I read these questions, I was a little surprised that God allowed these to be put into His word. Who is this guy that he thinks he can go to the Creator of the Universe and ask Him if His love and promises have failed for all time?
Initially, I wondered why the Lord would include this guy's complaints in His Holy Word recorded for all generations to read. I was puzzeled that God would allow this one guy to be so bold in approaching Him with such doubt and brashness. To be honest, I was expecting the next verse to say, "And God smacked Asaph upside the head for being so disrespectful to the King of All Kings."
The truth is, I questioned this guy until I experienced tragedy in my own life. To be honest, I don't know the entire set of circumstances that Asaph was going through but it was obviously a very big storm in his life. For all of us, there will be times that life will throw some curve balls our way that are truly unexpected. When they come, God's word reveals that it is OK for you to bring your questions to the King of the Universe and for that I am very grateful.
This has been a difficult week for us here in Oklahoma. Over the next three days, many people in our church will be dealing with three separate funerals, two suicides and one very tragic situation that has impacted the Ambassadors. As you read this short post, I would like to ask that you take a moment and pray for us as we navigate through some of life's stormy waters.
If you have not heard, Tuesday afternoon, Nathan Johnson went to be with the Lord. Nathan is the brother of Tyler Johnson who was an outfielder for the 2008 Ambassador baseball team. Last Saturday night, Nathan had just won his third fight in the tough man contest in downtown Oklahoma City when all of a sudden, he went into cardiac arrest inside the ring. He was rushed to the hospital with internal brain injuries and a few days later, he went to be with the Lord.
At this point the funeral is scheduled for Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Ada Oklahoma. This is a very challenging storm for the Johnson family and our hearts really break for T.J. As I was praying for help during this storm, the Lord brought to my mind one of the journal entries from our first Ambassador, Justin Sullivan. On February 24, 2002 Justin wrote
Set my sights on Jesus during life’s storms. Ask for a discerning heart. Seek more than knowledge, seek wisdom
as well.
This week is a time that we must set our sights on Jesus. I am thankful that He takes the time to walk us through the chaos of our lives. I am thankful that He is big enough to handle all of our questions and I am thankful that He gives us the strength to keep going regardless of the circumstances we face.
Today, I am thankful that God allowed Asaph's questions to be in His Word. I am thankful that we serve a King that not only understands our suffering but teaches us more about Him through even the most difficult times.
Today, I believe that God is faithful because God's presence is felt through your prayers. Thank you for lifting us up over the next few days as we strive to live out our journey as Ambassadors for Christ and thank you for praying for Nathan Johnson's family.
Posted on
Thursday, February 25, 2010
by Chris Wall