David Bahn – Reflections

Psalm 99

 ¹ The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
²The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
³Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he! (see the rest of this psalm below)

I had a bit of an epiphany this morning. Against the tough and challenging question of why God took Barbara from us, I realized I needed to ask another question: Why did God give her to us? If I am to challenge God on account of this loss, then surely I must acknowledge and thank him for the blessing of Barbara.

Frankly, however, this question is not mine; it is one that I imagine people like her daughters (my nieces) asking. They surely must wonder why God took their mother from them, having lost their dad just two years ago. I’m guessing they might well be railing against God in the pain and loss they are feeling. In fact, I hope they are railing and rejoicing. For the worse alternative to this would be to eliminate God totally from the picture; to harden our hearts toward him and refuse to embrace the pain that this loss brings. It’s the classic Carley Simon, “I haven’t got time for the pain” approach.

Those who believe in Christ and embrace the goodness and lovingkindness of God would rather we all embrace his love. We would hope that all people would fear, love, and trust him – at all times. He is worthy of this response. But better anger and rage than nothing at all.

In Revelation 3 Jesus speaks of the church in Sardis as lukewarm and will spew them out of his mouth. They are neither hot nor cold; they embrace the nothingness of un-faith and deadness of heart. Better they were hot or cold – railing or loving.

A friend of mine once said, “Dead hearts feel no pain.” I agree. So, let’s embrace the pain of our loss. But let’s be certain, also to embrace the joy of our blessings. Such an approach does not lead to lukewarm intellectualistic belief. I might move us occasionally to struggle with him in the dark hours of our grief. But it will also lead to a vibrant and alive faith and move us to entrust ourselves to God in the hard times and rejoice in God’s favor and blessings when the light of his love shines brightly into our lives.

The remainder of Psalm 99…

⁴ The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵ Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!

 ⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
⁷In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.

 ⁸O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
⁹Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!