Not from Within

Psalm 39

This psalm sounds rather bleak. At the end there is no apparent revelation of light and hope. As with the previous Psalm, it is in the context of illness and oppression from enemies. The concluding verse asks God to turn away from him, because he senses the Lord’s punishment. That’s because, again as with the previous psalm, the writer acknowledges his own role in what has come on him.

The irony here is that what may seem to be lacking is actually a sign of how deep the Psalmist’s trust in God is. The part that might seem lacking to us is a belief in an experience of God beyond this present life. How much of our expression of faith – from a New Testament perspective, that is – is grounded in our belief in the Resurrection? Paul the Apostle bases pretty much everything on this! Think about this: the psalmist is lacking in that aspect of faith Christians would consider the ground of everything, and yet he trusts in God, with the same trust as his ancestors – in the Lord who journeys with those who look to him.

When you first read this Psalm, you might wonder what is of hope, because the psalmist’s background is not the same as ours. But hope does not come from what we bring. Hope comes only from the Lord, not from anything within us. That’s why it is real hope, and not mere optimism.

Prayer:
God of surprises, I am so relieved and grateful that the hope you give me does not depend on anything in me – except a willingness to receive, and even that comes from you. Your grace is total. What a God you are! Through Christ I pray. Amen.