Tuesday, May 3, 2011

I'M JUST SAYIN!

"Evening and morning and noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice." Psalm 55:17

I was living life with the psalmist the other day as we both were lamenting why the world is so broken, wondering where God is, down on people who are obstacles to God's purposes and our peace, making our way back to praise, believing in the unseen. A typical day with my friend guiding me by his thoughts in the Psalms.

I am so thankful to walk with this brother through his unedited prayers to God that have consoled me on many an occasion. Suddenly, I heard a statement that I couldn't believe my friend had the nerve to utter. I rose up and chastised him for making such a bold claim.

"Have you not read Philippians 2:14 where it says to do all things without grumbling or complaining? [of course, he hasn't because he lived before the New Testament was written, but never mind history] Why are you condoning murmuring and complaining? You are saying you will do so, not just once but THREE TIMES A DAY? What are you thinking?"

I thought my friend might cower and slink away, saying I was right and that he wished he wouldn't have put that part in there because God doesn't like complainers. But no. He stood his ground about his words in Psalm 55:17, looking me in the eye and taunting me to dig deeper.

So what does this schooled seminary grad do in such a theological pickle and panic? That's right. Consult the Bible software. Upon doing so, I learned that the word complain in this context means to "rehearse", "repent", "go over a matter in one's mind" with the added insight that, "this meditation may be done inwardly or outwardly." The word murmur is quite colorful with descriptions like, "roar, mourn, be disturbed, be a loud drunk."

I was a bit relieved when I read this because secretly I have quite a few things to complain and murmur about and am glad to have permission to do so. My complaints can be anywhere from the way people treat me, the fact that I have pimples at my age, the timing of my life, the paint job on my car that is oxidizing. Taking a closer look, that's not exactly what my friend has in mind.

It seems that my brother the psalmist is giving full on license to "get loud with God" [as a friend of mine who is a pastor's wife has been known to quote] by calling out to him fervently and consistently about how things are not right in this world. When a friend turns their back on us. When we run in to another dead end. When evil decisions and people rock our security either personally or as a nation. He exhorts the listener to consider and meditate on God's character in the midst of experiencing stress, betrayal and confusion about God's ways. Finally, there is a call to "cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you."

"To cast our burden upon God is to stay ourselves on his providence and promise, and to be very easy in the assurance that all shall work for good. If we do so, it is promised that he will sustain us, both support and supply us, will himself carry us in the arms of his power, as the nurse carries the sucking-child, will strengthen our spirits so by his Spirit as that they shall sustain the infirmity. He has not promised to free us immediately from that trouble which gives rise to our cares and fears; but he will provide that we be not tempted above what we are able, and that we shall be able according as we are tempted." Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible