Page 30 - May 2015 Catalyst

WaLking in Light and truth
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle.
In the moments of darkness and seasons of con- fusion we need God’s light and truth. Without it, our hearts are tempted to question God, fear our circumstances, and struggle with inner tor- ment.
David was in such a moment when he wrote Psalm 43 (usually paired with Psalm 42). He wrote a raw expression of his downcast spirit, his feelings of alienation from God and perse- cution from men. He knew God was his di- vine strength but did not feel His nearness. He knew God was his strength but felt downcast in his spirit. David longed to be back in that place of worship, which he describes as God’s holy hill and tabernacle. In the moment, he was far removed and fighting the darkness of his own feelings.
Some say David wrote this when he was under theruthlesspursuitofSaulandhisarmy. Oth- ers conclude it was a different dark moment, probably following the betrayal by Absalom while banished in the desert, full of questions and short on clarity.
our desPerate CrY
He cried out to God, “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me.” Today you may feel the same cry arising from your heart. We always need the Lord’s leadership but tough times tend to accelerate our desperation for and openness to God’s sovereign intervention.
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In another Psalm, David referred to truth and light: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). As New Testa- ment believers we have the truth of His com- pleted word and the light of the Gospel. We enjoy the light of His presence and the Spirit of truth, resident in our hearts. As I think about the Lord’s leadership, three principles come to mind for your encouragement today:
1. He gives us enough light and truth to move forward rather than get stuck –
It is easy to get stuck in our problems and pain. Satisfied with our misery and apathy, we do not long for change and direction. David’s cry in this Psalm emerges from a moment of doubt and despair of soul. Yet, he is longing for new joy, fresh hope, and heartfelt praise in God’s presence. For God to lead us, we must be dis- satisfied with our current status and willing to follow Him beyond where we are. Like Paul, we must desire to “press on” as we reach forward toward the goal of God’s call (Philippians 3:12- 14).
In Psalm 32:8-9, God promises to instruct and teach us in the way we should go, guiding us in a personal fashion. But He warns, “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.” We want to be hungry and surrendered, not stubborn and stuck. In our toughest mo- ments, one of our greatest needs is to cry out for the Lord’s leadership with a readiness to follow, according to His word and in submission to the Spirit of Christ.
May 2015