Today’s Scripture Reading (August 23, 2019): Psalm 108
I am finite. I understand this
all too well. I know that I cannot do everything. A friend recently asked me
why Christians insist that they are the experts in every area of life, and I
understand the query. Often we make ourselves experts because we have listened
to a speaker and not because we have done the research ourselves. We place our
trust in the opinions of experts, and sometimes those experts have led us
astray. But I know all too well that I am neither the expert nor can I do it
all alone.
Recently I participated in a significant
event for our local church. It is a small church, less than 70 people show up
on the average Sunday, but every year for the past decade we have thrown a
party for the community. On this day, we welcomed over 500 people onto the
parking lot of the church. We ran out of everything, which sometimes is a good
thing. But part of the problem with these events is that it takes everyone, and
it is rare when everyone buys into any event. People who attended this event commented
that the event was well organized. Positive comments abound. But there were a
few comments that bothered me. A couple reported the hurt that comes with
coming to church. One comment was that sometimes, those with mental limitations
are marginalized. And I was hurt more than some might have imagined that I
could be by these comments. These criticisms did not sum up the church of which
I wanted to be a part. But the truth is that at a big event, it is often easy
for any of us to feel that we are lost.
For my own experience, I know
that I had one gentleman carefully follow me throughout the event wanting a few
minutes of my time. Unfortunately, I am finite. As I ran from one commitment to
another, and one fire that required my attention to the next, it wasn’t until
we had closed the event that I was able to go and find the gentleman and invite
him to come and sit in my office for a conversation. I felt terrible that he
had waited so long, but it seemed to be the nature of the day.
My guess, and I still have an investigation
to do, is that the Facebook concerns that I read about the event reflected the
same issue. The leaders that were busy trying to put on the event did not have
the time for the niceties that would typically accompany interpersonal
interaction. I know that sometimes that is hard to understand, and it is
something of which we all need to be aware, but it also a reflection of our
being finite, and not infinite, people. All of this weighs heavy on my mind and
my soul.
David says that his heart is
steadfast. There is nothing new in this Psalm, other than the way that the
Psalm is arranged. It reflects other things that David had written in his life.
Once again, David reassures his reader that he knows where to place his
attention. It is not on the finite vessels that surround him. It is not even in
his own abilities. His attention and focus were on God. David had let people
down. His advisors were not perfect. We are all limited. Our limited natures
are innate in who we are. But God is not. And as David writes, “My heart is
steadfast; my soul will sing and make music,” his words are not about the
limited parts of our existence. His focus is on God.
And when things do not seem to
go our way, God is where our focus should be as well. Even the best-intentioned
people will let us down. But God is infinite and forever. And he is the only one
who makes our hearts steadfast and secure.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 24
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