The likelihood that at some point during the Christian’s life a feeling of being neglected by God, distant to God or completely abandoned by the Creator is highly probable. It might be where you are right now. You may have even been there for awhile. Take heart you’re not alone. Many are feeling those exact emotions and many who have gone before us have endured a lifestage such as this. David is one of them.

According to Bible.org, the gist of Psalm 31 can be summed up as follows, “The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication.” This is not an uncommon theme for the Psalms. David says something akin to, “God, it feels like I’ve been left to fend for myself and it seems like you’re hiding your face from me.” God then shows up in a big way. David responds with, “God, I put my faith in you because you are always faithful.”

Yet in Psalm 31.22, a new insight is divulged. Depending on the translation, you get anything from:

“I jumped to conclusions and said, “I am cut off from your presence!” But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help” (NET)

or

“I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.” (ESV)

The general idea is that David panicked when he started feeling the void of not hearing from and interacting with God. It’s a fairly normal reaction, to go from feeling the presence of Yahweh to getting nothing but a dial tone. It’s pretty easy to place the blame on God, too. We still have our same habits and routines. We’re doing the same things we’ve done in the past to hear God’s voice, but for some reason it’s not working.

David takes ownership of his action and says that he “jumped to conclusions” or acted out of “alarm” or “haste”. How long do you give God before you let him know that you’ve been cut off from his presence? How long until you say, “I am cut off from your sight”? It should be alarming when that feeling strikes us, shouldn’t it? Crying out to God to hear our plea should be the first action we take. No answer? Repeat. Still no answer? Keep going.

It’s not that easy, though, is it? It’s hard work. Patience wears thin, life speeds up. We wait for God to move. Oh, but to hang on the promise of God’s word as we wait. God always shows up. He has to. He can’t be unfaithful. It might seem like He’s ignoring us, but we hold fast to his word like David does when he finishes this psalm like so many others:

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!” (ESV)

He hears our cries for mercy.

*Does the NET translation drums up memories of the “Jump to Conclusions” mat of “Office Space” fame for anyone else?

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PSALM 24.7

Wake up, you sleepyhead city!                              Lift up your heads, O gates!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people! vs. And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
King-Glory is ready to enter.                               that the King of glory may come in.

-The Message                                                              -English Standard Version

Thanks to resources like BibleGateway, if there are verses you’re reading that strike you as being hard to understand or illicit further research, you can find multiple translations and even hear the chapters and verses read aloud.

Another stellar site for extensive biblical scholarship is collection of materials over at The NET Bible.

Where do you go to further your biblical studies?

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Christianity was never meant to be a solo activity.

To experience the fullness and richness of life promised through following Christ, there have to be other people with you on the journey. That’s one of the beautiful parts of following along with the Pursuit Journal. There are many others who are on the same road, reading the same scriptures, being inspired and changed by what they’re reading. This website is one place where we hope that community can be built up and encouraged. Sharing our experiences is one way that intimacy can be achieved. And so you’re invited to share.

Share your insights on the passages you’ve read so far.

Share your tips on how to maintain a consistent time in the Word.

Share what’s hindering you from maintaining this and/or other spiritual disciplines.

Share what you would like to see implemented on this site to bolster your walk with God.

Share.

Share.

Share.

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Enjoy the second installment of notes from the Mark Adams-led study on the Psalms: Man Up 2 Notes

This is a four-week study that meets at the Austin Bible office on Thursday mornings at 6 am.

Men, it’s not too late to catch the last two Thursdays. More details here.

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In the 13th Psalm, David starts off with a bang:

13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

It’s a legitimate question, isn’t it? When life is doldrums and dark valleys, God doesn’t seem very close, and any sight of his face seems even further away. It brings up the question,

What circumstances in your life have you asking the same questions as David in Psalm 13.1?

It’d be pretty easy to stop after these pointed questions and the requests that follow. However, David takes a final stance that is a picture of a Spirit-filled faith:

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

May our faith be emboldened today to trust the steadfast love of God enough to sing in the midst of his hidden face.

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One reason the book of Psalms has been such a source of inspiration and hope for so many people is that the authors seem to speak for us in an unusually vulnerable manner that is sometimes frowned upon. Things like, “God, where are you? Why are you hiding”, “Strike down my enemies…Break their teeth.” The book of Psalms is raw, and thus, very approachable. As we’re reading through the Psalms at various times during 2010, we will encounter a myriad of emotions, multiple insights into the character of God and several thoughts on how to be a better person. Below, is a list of ways the Psalms contribute to our lives. It’s been condensed from a very helpful article that can be found here:

1. The psalms are poetry

2. The psalms are songs

3. The psalms are expressions of worship

4. The psalms are prayers

5. The psalms are instruction

6. The psalms speak for us

taken from Bob Deffinbaugh’s article

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Mark Adams is leading a men’s study on Thursday mornings at 6am in the Austin Bible Offices on how to study the Psalms, which happens to be a highly appropriate topic given the layout of the Pursuit Journal. Mark has provided some key insights to help give a clearer picture of the context of the Psalms.

So, if one of the guys who attended the first study hasn’t shared the notes with you yet, you can download them here:

Men’s Study Notes #1

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The first week of readings in your Pursuit Journal are coming to a close, and we’ll have completed the first seven Psalms.

What has been the most inspiring verse you’ve read thus far? Most convicting? Difficult to read and/or understand?

What do you see yourself needing to further your study?

Let the discussion begin…

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