SAY WHAT YOU'VE DONE

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Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!" My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die, and his name perish?" By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
Psalm 41:1‭-‬5‭, ‬11‭-‬12 ESV

¶Psalm 41 is interesting, in that the first three verses describe what life is like in the kingdom, in Narnia, so to speak, where "everything sad comes untrue". Then, in verse 4, the psalmist, snapping into a moment of honesty, (beginning with "as for me...") compares that with what following God is like for imperfect sinners like us. It is as if he were saying "truth be told, it does does not seem like I'm in paradise right now, starting with my own predilection to sin, and the people around me are not making it any easier!" But the psalmist falls back on his integrity. integrity is what really matters. Integrity is not the same as sinlessness. Integrity actually acknowledges sin. Integrity acknowleges that God is not finished with us yet. It is the process by which we find our way into God's presence. Integrity works two ways. It means not only being true to your word, but that your words are true to who you really are. It means not only being honest with other people, but being honest with ourselves, and with God. It means not only that you do what you say, but that you say what you've done. It means not only that your actions are consistent with your confession, but that your confession is consistent with your actions. Then God's healing light can shine all the way down.

Comments

  1. Kent FarishJuly 31, 2021 at 8:15 AM



    We all have reasons for being the way we are (sinners). Reasons are not justifications, only excuses. All the things that bar us from entering the kingdom can fall, if we but say who we really are, and are who we really say.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kent FarishJuly 31, 2021 at 8:15 AM

    How like this Psalm starts to the Beatitudes of Jesus.

    ReplyDelete

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