All who hate me whisper together about me. They imagine the worst for me. They say: "A deadly thing is poured out on him. He will not rise again from where he lies." Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heal against me.
But You, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up! (vs. 7-10)
Losing a friend. Because you misjudged her loyalty. Shared your deepest longings and greatest joys with this person. Held hands in prayer over her needs and yours. Sat down to meals with wine and laughter. And now you languish in a pit so deep it looks like you will never get out. Sickness or catastrophe has taken away your energy. No shopping or vacationing. Taken out of the stream of things, you are alone and your friend has gone on to greener pastures because it doesn't look like you are going to "rise again" from this thing. Wonder what she did that made God so mad at her? She is really a downer to be around now! Where is all that faith that God will heal her? Wanna go to lunch?
And the beat goes on. If the life of our Lord is any example to us, even those closest to us cannot be counted upon to be there when the going gets too rough. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus actually quoted this psalm: "I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But the scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against Me.' " It was Judas who would betray Jesus to the Pharisees, but all of them except John ran away when the going got too tough. Even Peter, who had only hours before sworn to die for Him, ran in disgrace from the face of Jesus after denying three times he even knew Him. Only one remained at the foot of the cross. John. Out of twelve. One dead from hanging the next day. The others huddled in some coward's den tsk-tsking the fate of the One Who had such promise.
Where does that leave us? Do we not share our lives with each other? Do we close off our hearts to the convent of privacy instead of risk hurt from a friend? Jesus didn't. And He is God. But if we have as our expectation that our friends can do what only God can do, then we will surely and often be disappointed. He is our closest friend - closer than a brother. He lives inside of us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Though we don't always understand what our Father is accomplishing in and through us by His Holy Spirit, like David we can still look to Him and say, "But You, O Lord...." Only He knows His plans for us and only He can raise us up. If that same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. (Romans 8) What other friend can do that?
Put not trust in a neighbor. Have no confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.....But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. (Micah 7) Be careful that you trust no one the way you trust in your God. We will all fall short. We cannot help it. But He will never fail.
But You, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up! (vs. 7-10)
Losing a friend. Because you misjudged her loyalty. Shared your deepest longings and greatest joys with this person. Held hands in prayer over her needs and yours. Sat down to meals with wine and laughter. And now you languish in a pit so deep it looks like you will never get out. Sickness or catastrophe has taken away your energy. No shopping or vacationing. Taken out of the stream of things, you are alone and your friend has gone on to greener pastures because it doesn't look like you are going to "rise again" from this thing. Wonder what she did that made God so mad at her? She is really a downer to be around now! Where is all that faith that God will heal her? Wanna go to lunch?
And the beat goes on. If the life of our Lord is any example to us, even those closest to us cannot be counted upon to be there when the going gets too rough. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus actually quoted this psalm: "I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But the scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against Me.' " It was Judas who would betray Jesus to the Pharisees, but all of them except John ran away when the going got too tough. Even Peter, who had only hours before sworn to die for Him, ran in disgrace from the face of Jesus after denying three times he even knew Him. Only one remained at the foot of the cross. John. Out of twelve. One dead from hanging the next day. The others huddled in some coward's den tsk-tsking the fate of the One Who had such promise.
Where does that leave us? Do we not share our lives with each other? Do we close off our hearts to the convent of privacy instead of risk hurt from a friend? Jesus didn't. And He is God. But if we have as our expectation that our friends can do what only God can do, then we will surely and often be disappointed. He is our closest friend - closer than a brother. He lives inside of us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Though we don't always understand what our Father is accomplishing in and through us by His Holy Spirit, like David we can still look to Him and say, "But You, O Lord...." Only He knows His plans for us and only He can raise us up. If that same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. (Romans 8) What other friend can do that?
Put not trust in a neighbor. Have no confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.....But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. (Micah 7) Be careful that you trust no one the way you trust in your God. We will all fall short. We cannot help it. But He will never fail.
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