In Touch, or Outta Touch Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah [a musical expression denoting a pause in the music - a time of reflection]. (Psalm 32:6-7 HCSB, explanation, mine). Okay, its Monday! Time to practice who we are, be that which we learned yesterday. Heres a not so great thought, did you know there is a time when all the praying I can muster doesnt even make it past the ceiling? There is! Look with me here at the end of the first sentence, at a time that You may be found., isnt that what it says? But what is it talking about? Why is that? The first thing we must do is understand what the therefore is there for? (Wrong grammar, right necessity). Remember, this is wisdom literature, poetic in nature. In the first 2 verses (first stanza), David declares the truth of God that, in general, the person in right relationship with God (transgressions forgiven, sin covered, cleared of his indictment and walking in truth, not deceit) is happy (feeling pleasure or enjoyment in the fact of ones life situation). The next 3 verses (2nd stanza), gives an example of when, though chosen by and knowing God, he, David, was unwilling to fess up (this was about a year, by the way). And that leaves us here in the 3rd stanza (last 2 verses). As a result of these two truths (therefore), everyone who is faithful is being encouraged to cooperate with God and God is being petitioned by David to enable everyone who is faithful to pray to (communicate with) God at a time when He may be found. But what does that mean? Is God, at times, unwilling to hear me when I pray? I thought being in Christ gave me instant access to the throne room? Calm down! All is not lost. We simply need to understand what is being said here! God is always, and I do mean Always ready and willing, able and awaiting, our communication with Him! But there are some first things, first which must be dealt with! Prayer is a privilege not a right! Got that? In is country, we are so eat up with my rights this and you tramplin my rights that we forget the rights have responsibilities AND have come through the blood, sweet and tears of many who have gone before (VERY few of which are politicians, if any!). The only right I have to the throne room of God is through the blood (passion) of Christ! Speaking to, even looking at, the King is a privilege; which He freely gives to His children who are behaving! If I am not behaving, being who I already am in Christ, then He wont hear me EXCEPT to confess! This is what the preacher means when He talks about keeping short accounts with God. Our God is not a genie in a bottle or a magic lamp to be commanded about (sorry Joel, you missed that one BIG), dictated to or rubbed and stroked for our every whim! He is our loving and merciful Father, full of grace and truth, seeking the benefit of His own. He sees all; David couldnt hide his sin with Bathsheba, not to mention the murder of Uriah. I cant sweep my willful sin from yesterday under the rug and pretend it isnt there, to be dealt with! Yes, Im forgiven for every sin I will ever commit the very moment I trust Christ and His death for such, but that is not what David is referring to here. A child of the King can have his throne room privileges suspended! We will not, I cannot have the ear of the King with un confessed sin, willing rebellion in my life! Does God still love me? Yes, yes, a thousand times Yes, but whom the Lord loves, He chastens, the Church of God, by the preaching of the Word, is here to reprove, rebuke and correct with all long-suffering (tirelessly) and doctrine. I cant just go willy-nilly into the throne room, before a Good and Perfect God when Im unwilling to agree with Him about my sin (confess) and turn from it (repent); then, and only then, will He hear my prayer! What about it child, are you like me? Are there some things we both need to get right with God? God forgive me, I need to think about that!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 11:35:45 +0000
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