I wanted to thank you all again for your continued prayers for my recovery. I was able to go out yesterday after church to play some volleyball with my son’s group. I have been playing with them for a good number of years, but this had cut down due to my schedule, and then my hospitalization. It has been about a month since my heart surgery, but I am feeling great, and have very good energy. So I went to the park to play, knowing I would likely not participate the entire time, which is usually 5-6 hours. I made it just 4 hours. It took a couple games to get back my volleyball muscle memory, but was bumping and setting more accurately by game three. For the record, I really don’t spike, and my legs are still a bit weak so jumping was not back to normal, which wasn’t that high anyway.
I also got a new phone and watch combination that continually checks my heart rate and rhythm. And, I’m happy to say that my heart was in normal rhythm the whole time. It did take a while to fully recover and get back to my normal heart rate, but I haven’t exercised this much for some time. It was great to be back out though.
I am about halfway through the Psalms now, and I am really feeling the intensity of the emotions this time around. From the heights of ecstatic praise, to the depths of despair, it’s all in the Psalms. And the theme I keep coming across is that God is always there for His kids. Psalm 39 reminds us that our days on earth are really few in number, and David asks God to help us remember that. That brought up some memories of my hospital stay. I was brought face to face with my mortality, and that my life could end at any time.
Psalm 42, written by the sons of Korah, which is a story in itself, speaks about how this world is utterly against the people of God. The writer talks of how his tears have been his food day and night as the enemies chide him and ask, “where is your God now?” But then he remembers who God is and asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Then he repeats the process.
We see that God is our fortress, our strength, our shield, our refuge, our help in times of trouble, our rock, our deliverer, our dwelling place, our shepherd, our King, our light, our judge and the judge of the world, the One who upholds our life, on whom we can cast all of our burdens and cares, for His steadfast love endures forever. We can always trust in Him, no matter what. He will ultimately tread down our foes, and He will save us forever.
No wonder the writers exclaim that their souls will wait on the Lord, and they thirst for Him, they trust in Him, for He is our salvation. His deeds are awesome. And I am only to Psalm 66. There is so much more. I mean, how can anyone reject our God? And how can anyone be afraid, be anxious, or worried, or downcast, who knows this God personally? But we all have those moments. And David and the other writers of the Psalms honestly laid out their hearts to us all to show us that when we are in the midst of trials, pain, suffering, anxiety, fear, etc., our God knows it. He remembers our frame and knows we are dust. And He is calling out to us to run to Him at all times. To cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us.
And today, because of the incarnation and the Cross, He is familiar with our weaknesses. And He, because of His finished work, tore the curtain of the Temple in two, giving us full access to the throne of God the Father, so we can come boldly to Him and make our requests known. He’s a good, good Father.
I encourage you all to take some time and read through the Psalms. And then dare to believe them.
Amen!
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