The How-To Manual
I was in battle this week. From the shifts in the weather and in the skies to living, working, and loving in the real tragedies of trauma, I know I was not the only one in battle either. With impeachment inquiries and disrupted foster care placements and fights amongst family and even struggling to just leave your apartment, there is what feels like a corporate pressing all over this world. As I cozy up to my laptop to finish this month’s mindful message, I take a look at all of my prayers and study for this week, and I realize that God had equipped me with everything I needed to win even before I had no idea that I would even need to fight. We’ve all had this happen to us–it's like finding yourself caught in the middle of a storm and realizing you actually do have a flashlight. The Word of God is like that for me; it is a guiding compass for my spirit, for my body, for my heart, for my mind, and for my work. In it, I have everything I need.
As I continue in my study of Psalms, I’ve been pausing to refine my study practices while also supporting the continued exploration of the Word in my life. The Bible is not only a doctrine for who we are and who we should be as a church, it is the center of our cultural morality (aside from Christ Himself). Whether you believe that God sent Himself to this world through His son, Jesus Christ, who died and was raised so that one day, we could do the same and get as close to good as He would have us and in spite of ourselves OR you’re as close to believing as snow is to Miami, you need MY GOD and HIS RULES to structure and govern this world. THIS type of study, this type of theological understanding, gives every human who dare call themselves a believer, a reliable, sound, historical, emotional pillar that includes everything we need to live, breathe, serve, and love as followers of Christ. So, when I went back after this mountain of a week and saw the title for Psalm 20 read, “The Lord Saves His Anointed”, I knew that this passage was especially sent directly from Him to me (and of course, for us all).
In Chapter 20 of the book of Psalms, we know we have encountered God’s people by way of their petitions of Him. They ask,
“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all of your sacrifices and accept your burnt offering. Selah. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all of your plans succeed (vv. 1 – 4).
You know what kind of believer you have to be to not only ask Him to be with you during the difficult times AND to call forth his character (i.e. Hebrew usage of name here) and the history of his goodness WHILE ALSO standing on your own works and sacrifices, to grant you success? The believer of a real and living God.
The people go on to say that “We will shout for joy when you are victorious.” In anticipation that God will do what He says He will do with and for you, you are blessed with the joy and opportunity of an intermediary praise break. This happens to us all the time because SOMETIMES when we can’t see what’s happening or it doesn’t feel or look too good, that’s when we need to shout the MOST (here’s the proof)!
Verses 6 through 9 bring us to the latter portion the Psalm when the people proclaim,
“Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed…Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember in the name of the Lord.
Anointing was once an ancient practice; shepherds would pour oil on the heads of their sheep primarily to keep them from butting heads with other sheep, from cuts, and from bugs that would burrow in their ears and eventually kill them. It soon became a symbol for protection, blessing, and empowerment. If you are anointed, you are thus set apart, and in this chapter, while others may depend on human strength and its various expressions, those of us who are anointed REMEMBER the character and life and work of our God and most of all, His ability to save and ensure victory.
I was bruised but not crushed this week because God has anointed me and set me apart for the glorification of His kingdom; He has done this for us all. I did not throw in my towel this week because He gave me a praise that I could not name but that I KNEW I needed to have. I stood tall in the face of the bugs of anxious thoughts and the stubbornness of disagreement and the cuts of family trauma this week because He reminded me of who He was, is, and will always be. A friend of mine and I were recently talking about our sources of validation, of who we are in this world. While he made some good points about his morning mirror affirmations and encouragement of self, I couldn’t wait to declare that I rest easy more and more these days in who God says I am and what God says I can do and what His plan is for me–in this is everything I will ever need.