November 24th, 2013
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Silent but not Sleeping

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Opening Prayer

Gracious Lord, You guide me through life. I praise You today for strength given me and hope renewed in me.

Read Psalm 44:1-26

[1] For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. [2] With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish. [3] It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. [4] You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. [5] Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. [6] I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; [7] but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. [8] In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. [9] But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. [10] You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us. [11] You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations. [12] You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale. [13] You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. [14] You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us. [15] I live in disgrace all day long, and my face is covered with shame [16] at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge. [17] All this came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not been false to your covenant. [18] Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. [19] But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness. [20] If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, [21] would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? [22] Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. [23] Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. [24] Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? [25] We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. [26] Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

Meditate

“Is it possible that God sometimes purposely hides himself so that we may rise to a higher level of spiritual perception?” (Dr. A. Leonard Griffith).

Think Further

Have you ever felt God was hidden and silent? You had known and loved him, and experienced his guiding and sustaining hand in your life, but life became seriously tough, and your usual sense of God’s presence disappeared. When you cried to him, there was no answer. It was almost like he was asleep, uncaring. Job experienced that for a long time, and so have many Christian saints over the years. Some have described this period of their lives as “the dark night of the soul.” 

The precise origin of this communal psalm is not known, but it differs from other psalms pleading for God’s help: here innocence, not disobedience, is professed. The writer conveys his people’s deep, inexplicable trouble in a moving way. They knew from their ancestors all about God’s loving and saving action in planting them securely in their land, but now they are defeated, scattered, disgraced and taunted. They cannot understand: although they have not forgotten God, he seems to have forgotten them. But the story does not end there. There is hope, despite the present darkness. The final verses challenge God to wake up, see what is happening, and help his people. This is not an idle wish, but one based on the certainty of God’s unfailing love, which has redeemed in the past and will do so again. “The last hope of a faithful people is the faithfulness of God” (J.L. Mays).

Jesus’ disciples were just beginning to learn that even the innocent Messiah would soon have to suffer. In a few days he, too, would feel forsaken by God (Mark 15:34). Paul would later remind Christians that, even though at times they might be “considered as sheep to be slaughtered,” nothing would be able to separate them from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:36-39).

Apply

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Trust your times of joy and sorrow, contentment and anguish to his love. Look for what God is trying to teach you.

Closing prayer

Jesus, I come to You in faith and trust. Help me to cling to You in any dark times I face.

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