I
don’t know if you have ever visited someone in the hospital in order to cheer
them up, and came away more encouraged than when you arrived, but I have. You
enter the room expecting to find someone very ill. You find that, but you also
find that they are filled with joy and peace. And that joy and peace overflows
in your direction. They have so many reasons to complain, but there isn’t a
complaint in the room. There is no explanation for this seemingly incongruent
attitude. We expect someone going through difficult times to be sad and
complaining. So when we find someone who is filled with joy instead, we don’t
always know what to do with it.
Our
psalm is filled with these types of incongruities. Our section begins with him
expressing that he feels like those around him are like a pack of wild dogs, circling
their next meal. They probe with a bite, and then withdraw. Hands and feet are
easy targets for wild dogs, since they are often used to try to fight off the
attack. So this attack is getting very personal and very dangerous. He is
probably feeling as if it is only a matter of time before they eat him alive.
Everything
about this man is exposed. And they are ready to divide up what is left after
the dogs have eaten their fill. If anyone had reason to reject the LORD’s
goodness, it would be this man. If there exists a God of justice, certainly
this would be the time to show up. And yet, this is not his plea. He doesn’t
want an immediate escape. His first concern is for connection and strength. He
does want deliverance, but he recognizes a greater purpose in his life.
And
that greater purpose is the glory of the LORD. He wants to make the LORD great
in his life. He wants people to do the same. He wants to lift up the LORD. He
could be shaking his fist in anger and resentment, but instead he is offering
praise, because despite his current circumstances, he has confidence in the
LORD’s goodness. He knows the LORD won’t let him stay in the mess.
Somehow
he is able to know the LORD’s character, and that character deserves praise,
even if his present circumstances are dire. He calls on everyone everywhere to
see the LORD for who He is and yield to His authority. He is in charge and we
must all acknowledge it, even if our present circumstances might seem dire.
So
how we handle the dire circumstances that come into our lives does make a
difference, both for us and those of this current generation, but also into the
future. The way we express our faith and hope in the middle of the circling
dogs can bring glory to God. But we must make the choice to allow His strength
to be with us in those moments of greatest distress. We must look beyond the
current struggle and see future generations and the ultimate consummation of
everything. The LORD will be praised. What He has done, and allowed, will be
understood, at least as much as we are capable of understanding, and we will
offer worship.