Praise God, We're Being Run Over!

I lead prayer each Sunday in our fellowship. Yesterday, as I prepared to stand before our congregation, my heart was full, rejoicing --not because we've inherited millions, or all of our children will make it home for the holidays, or someone just offered me the book deal of my dreams --but because we are being run over. Major health issues, job loss or upheaval, an adoption that seems to be going nowhere, discouragement and uncertainty, grief, a lack of housing and a move across the sea, tenuous relationships. But Hallelujah! my King is still on the throne. And as I stood before my brothers and sisters who are going through their trials and miseries, I opened my Bible to Psalm 91, reading slowly and silently praying God's comfort in their hearts before we entered His throne room together.

Now, that's not what I wanted to do. Just before going forward, I'd glanced at my husband. And heard Someone say, "It's not about you," and while giving God the glory despite what we're going through does make it all about God, some people may not be "there" yet. Some people may still be deep in grief or wide-eyed with uncertainty, and may need to know first, God hears them when they cry to Him, God protects and provides refuge to those who seek Him in their distress. But here is the wonderful thing, moments later, our pastor related the story of a woman who once shared with him all of the terrible things she was going through. She gave God praise for her circumstances! Isn't God good?! Hearts were invited into God's presence with the hope of Psalm 91, and once there, were challenged to give our Master glory in and for our troubles, assuring them there are rewards in accepting the challenge. God had it all planned out. And I could stop right there with this --His goodness and His sovereignty, but I want to have my say today! I want to share my testimony, the testimony I would have shared yesterday if it had been the right time. Here goes:

For the past week or so, I have been in Psalm 66 for my quiet time. (Please, please click on the link and read it! You will be amazed and encouraged. The link will take you to two translations, New King James and The Complete Jewish Bible, side by side.) In the beginning verses, the psalmist calls to humanity to sing the praises of a wonder-working God. "He preserves our lives; He keeps our feet from stumbling." WhooHoo! right? But the next three verses (I'm paraphrasing verses 10-12) "You tested us, held our feet to the fire, ensnared us, disabled us, allowed us to be run over, endangered and sinking." Run over? Bound? How is that a good thing?! At the end of verse 12, the psalmist affirms, "You brought us out to rich fulfillment." And this is why I selected these two translations side-by-side. Some translations render these words, "brought us out to a place of plenty." Because of the corruptions in our western world, our minds (whether we want them to or not) usually go to thoughts of financial or culturally normative types of plenty. But fulfillment hits differently, Fulfillment is personal, emotional, spiritual, intellectual --full fullness, utter satisfaction. And that comes from being run over. The lessons that we learn in that time. The prayers that we pray. The vows that we make (Read on to verses 13-15). All of it is designed, allowed by our Heavenly Father to change us in some way. We draw closer to Him, listening as the Holy Spirit reveals those places in our hearts that are not fully surrendered. We bear our souls, and as they are laid out before Him and before us, as our words bounce off the walls of our prayer closets (or our automobiles), we hear them in all their brokenness or selfishness or bitterness; and we pray God will change us. That we might be more like His Son who prayed "Not My will, but Yours be done." He hears our prayer and brings us to the place of fulfillment. So, in the words of the psalmist:

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth,
his praise was on my tongue.

But in fact, God did listen;
he paid attention to my prayer.

Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His mercy from me!