2013 will be known as "The Year That Pretty Much Sucked." It's been a year of death, loss, hopes rendered null & void, and prayers returned empty. It's been a difficult year for so many, and I'm not alone in my eagerness for it to be over. My fingers are crossed for 2014.
Psalm 42 is one of my favorite passages of scripture, a hope-filled lament of David. David stands in the present, surrounded by adversity and trouble, panting after God the way a deer pants for water. He's parched, dried up, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth; he knows the only thing that can quench his thirst is God, and he's chasing after God, his hope in God resilient despite the current state-of-affairs. Psalm 42 stands against any idea that devotion to God sets us up for a rose garden experience in this life; the Christian life is marked by suffering, longing, and peace and joy amid sorrow. Far too often we forget that peace and joy is found in the midst of sorrow, not at the exclusion of it. David's confidence in God is bolstered by his own remembrances of how God has come through in the past, how God has been faithful, how he has tasted the goodness of God in days prior. He reflects on the ways God has come through in the past, and he's confident God will come through in the future. It's a beautiful psalm, echoing my "spiritual sentiments" in 2013.
Yes, 2013 has been difficult, but it isn't without its blessings. I still have my parents, my sister, and amazing friendships that most people don't get to experience. I'm blessed with a quaint and quiet hobbit hole, I have a great job helping people and sharing life with the marginalized and less fortunate, and I'm part of a wonderful community of Christ-followers and am excited to be getting involved. Best of all, I still have God, and my trust and hope is in him, no matter what 2014 may bring.
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