Perspective

“Then I went into your sanctuary, O God…” Psalm 73:17a

Take a minute to read this Psalm. The first part clearly describes what we do when we try to make sense of things ourselves, in our own understanding. The way things LOOK are not really the way things ARE.

The Psalmist gets so discouraged as he tries to sort things out in his own head that he ends up saying things like: “Did I keep my heart pure for no reason?” (verse 13) “I get nothing but trouble all day long: every morning brings me pain.” (verse 14)

To me that sounds a lot like when my children used to say: “I never get to……”, “You never let me……”, “Everyone but me has a …….”, “I don’t have any friends.”, “Nobody loves me.” Hopefully a child who is convinced in his heart that those things are true has a loving parent who can patiently bring perspective and help them see truth.

“But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.” (verse 2)

So what do we do when we feel ourselves losing our footing? What do we do when we start wondering if God even notices or cares? What do we do when nothing makes sense and it seems like everything is out of control?

“Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.

I was so foolish and ignorant – I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you." (verses 21-22)

 We do exactly what the Psalmist did. “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God.”  

 

When I feel myself panicking or I start acting crazy, I know that I am not spending time quiet in God's presence. For me this is how I go into his sanctuary. I have to get alone, quiet, and sit in his presence, and he brings peace and rest to my heart.

 

In her book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Ruth Haley Barton describes what getting quiet in God's presence does for her. If you put lake water in a glass jar, the water will be dark and murky with things floating around in it. After the water sits in the jar without being shaken, the water begins to get clear. The longer the jar is still, the clearer the water becomes.

 

Ruth says this is what her soul does in God's presence. The more she sits still and quiet in his presence, the more still and calm her soul becomes. I have also found this to be true.

"Yet still I belong to you; you hold my right hand.

 

You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!” (verses 21-24, 26, 28a)

May he lead you to your glorious destiny!