Grace Grace God's Grace

Psalm 31:9-18

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am ^(A)in distress;
    ^(B)my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and ^(C)my bones waste away.

¹¹ Because of all my adversaries I have become ^(D)a reproach,
    especially to my ^(E)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street ^(F)flee from me.
¹² I have been ^(G)forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like ^(H)a broken vessel.
¹³ For I ^(I)hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
^(J)as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I ^(K)trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My ^(L)times are in your hand;
    ^(M)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
^16 (N)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
¹⁷ O Lord, ^(O)let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go ^(P)silently to Sheol.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be mute,
    which ^(Q)speak ^(R)insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2031:%209%20-%2018&version=ESV

There is a song my girls used to sing, “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I guess I’ll go eat worms.”  It was a silly little song but as I read this I had to think of that song.  David was feeling pretty sorry for himself and I can relate.  There are times in this world that I feel like that song and I do just what David did, I pout.  I can relate to David because he believed that he had been anointed King and yet he had to wait.  Waiting is one of the most difficult things to do.  I have to think of Christmas as a child, waiting to open those presents was so difficult.  But then when the gifts were all opened the excitement was all gone.  Of course we were able to enjoy the gifts but the excitement had somehow left.  I don’t know that I really ever enjoyed the excitement of waiting that was more like the agony of waiting but the excitement of opening was fantastic. 

Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies but I don’t think He wants us to model our prayer after David’s.  Yet so many times I find myself praying much like Him.  I don’t pray for those that hurt me to die but I do pray for the Lord to not reward their bad behavior. 

I trust that if you are going through a difficult time, you will be your faith in Jesus Christ.  That He will give you the strength to endure and that as you wait upon Him you will feel the excitement of opening a gift.  This gift, from Him, will be the gift that will not lose its excitement once it is opened. 

As I continue to find out how much grace He has to offer, I pray that I will give out to others the grace that He has afforded me.  That I will pray for my enemies that they may know Him and know Him to the fullest.  That they will live in Him and not in Sheol.

As you seek Him may you also grow close to Him and the grace that He gives.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila