Complaining Don’t Help!

Posted on 20. Jul, 2010 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 143

Written by King David

 1 Lord, hear my prayer!

Listen to me begging for mercy!

Answer me in you faithfulness and justice!

2 Don’t come in to judge your slave;

No living (person) is innocent[1] in your presence.

3 The enemy has chased my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me live in dark places[2] like (those who have been) dead for a long time.

4 My spirit in me is weak[3]

And my inner being is gloomy and empty.[4]

 

5 I remember the old days;

I give serious though to all you’ve done;

I study your handiwork.[5]

6 I stretch[6] my hands out to you;

I[7] (long for) you like a (dry) land, weakened (by its need, longs for water)

 

7 Lord, hurry up and answer me;

My spirit is wasting away;

Don’t hide your presence from me or I will be like (a person who) goes down into the pit[8].

8 Let me hear your goodness and kindness in the morning;

I trust in you;

Let me know the way to walk;[9]

I lift myself[10] up to you.

9 Lord, snatch me away from my enemies,

You have covered me.

 

10 Teach me (what) to do;

You’re my God;

Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

11 Lord, (give me) life on account of your name and reputation;

Bring me out of trouble in your justice.

12 In your goodness and kindness, put an end to my enemies;

Destroy all (those who) oppress my soul;

I am your slave.

 

[1] “righteous/justified”  [2] “dark places/the grave”  [3] “spirit weak over/against”  [4] “inner man desolate/appalled”   [5] Muse/ponder deed/work hands”  [6] “spread out/stretch”  [7] “soul”  [8] Symbolic of death  [9] “know way which walk”  [10] “soul/life”

Application

The theme is staying constant for this series of David’s psalms – Help God!  I’m in trouble!  Listen to me!  Hurry up!  You are good!  Kill my enemies! And I belong to you!

I know that complaining and grumbling is detestable to God.  And so I can only assume that it’s when I complain and gossip to others about the situation that offends my heavenly Father.  David complains, but he is called the man after God own heart.  The difference seems to be that David only ever seems to complain directly to God.  And he does this in a way that he is expecting God to answer, rather than criticising him for his inaction.  

Therefore, if I’m going to say anything at all about a situation, I had better go directly to God with it rather than to other people.  I had also, like David, better have an expectation that God WILL resolve the issue and have an understanding that God is always good.

I need to know that God is covering and protecting me even when things are looking bad from my perspective.  I need to know that he is fighting against me enemies and so there’s no need and no excuse for me to worry.

What I’m to do, it to come to God and ask him to teach me his ways and allow him to fill me with the Holy Spirit and lead me.

Prayer

Father, I need to walk in your ways and to be lead by your Spirit.  I need to know how to have integrity in all I do and how to serve you with honour.  Please forgive me for worrying and getting upset about situations when you have promised to stay in control and to do good for me.  Take me as your slave and teach me how to obey you in everything.

IJN Amen.

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