In Psalm 61 David is far from his home in Jerusalem, perhaps being forced to live in an area we know as Syria as mentioned in Psalm 60. Other historians think this section of the Psalms was written by David when he might have been in Edom...what we know as Jordan today.
What is evident in these passages was David was in trouble once again, being chased by his very own son Absalom, who desired to be king...so much so that he wanted his own father (the present king) to be killed.
David himself had become quite despondent at this point of his life...although his accomplishments in life had been gratifying and certainly brought an element of grace and mercy in his own life and in the lives of others, it now seemed to David his entire life had culminated into a "train wreck", and in Psalm 61:2 he confesses his "heart had now grew weak". He didn't have it anymore...to press on and fight, he simply wanted to die.
Yet David knew from his trust in the Lord this wasn't the way...this wasn't the path he needed to take. Why? Because He knew his God was not the designer of this path, and by doing so would only lead to more harm for him...and for others. Psalm 62:1-2 describes what David was thinking in his heart : " He's a solid Rock under my feet...a place I can receive some breathing room for my soul."
David needed some time to think all this out...what had happened in his life and what was he going to do now. He was acquainted with God's acts of Grace and Mercy in his own life...and he needed it now!
Those of us who have grown up in a "western culture" have been submerged in the idea of protocol. We come home only to find the front door unlocked...so we immediately search to find who was to blame for this. We investigate this thoroughly, using deductive reasoning and diligence in our search...until we find that person and pronounce them "guilty as charged".
At the same time we in western culture neglect to use proper protocol when it comes to other more important issues...choosing to be uninvolved, not to bother, or simply too lazy to pursue. We give up on our spouses, we let our children go about their lives neglected,and choose not to follow protocol when we see others in need, but yield to apathy instead.
In these chapters in the Psalms, David is definitely in a "broken relationship" with his own son Absalom...and that's putting it mildly...Absalom wanted his own father put to death. Now, protocol requires us to find out how this originated and ultimately find the guilty party. And this is where David moves from the "western way of protocol" to another form of solution...he simply cried out for the Grace and Mercy of His God.
In our culture today, we find our present society in dire need of the Grace and Mercy of God. Going to the Oxford Dictionary, the following definitions are given for Grace and Mercy:
Grace: "to give someone favor not deserved, often yielding a response of joy, pleasure, delight, and gratitude from the recipient of this decision."
Mercy: " choosing to exercise compassion and forgiveness toward someone when having the authority to punish and harm if so desired."
There are two things I take note of in David's response to his dilemma: 1) His heart...although Absalom desired David dead, David loved Absalom, and chose to seek God's Grace and Mercy in this situation...regardless who was to blame for their relationship to have come to this point...choosing to seek His Maker than to follow the natural rules of protocol, and 2) establish the right protocol in coming to God...not on our terms, rather on His terms.
In this day and age, we often hear the phrase "the Grace and Mercy of God", and how much they are needed in situations in our lives. We suffer in our western society the epidemic of broken families like no other time in history, divorces and separations of loved ones leaving many to feel alone in facing problems in their lives, and although communication from modern technology is at an all-time high in history, the communication between families and our friends is at an all-time low in history as well. Yet, to cultivate a culture that relies on the Grace and Mercy of God and see the healing of relationships we so desperately need, we must understand God's protocol needed in order to receive these things from Him. It doesn't guarantee both parties will find the remedy most needed, for Absalom ended up meeting his death because he made the choice not to follow God's protocol that would give him the direction he too so desperately needed...but David did his part to stand before the Ancient One and cry out for Grace and Mercy in the situation he found himself in.
Cultivating a Culture of Grace and Mercy begins with each of us...and as we begin to follow God's protocol for a beginning of healing in our generation through God's generous acts of Grace and Mercy... perhaps we too have time to make a difference in our present culture.
David's message to us in Psalm 62 came with a great price...although God followed through with what He promised to David...the loss of his own son was a painful experience that lasted throughout the rest of David's life. God's protocol begins with this: our salvation comes through Him...and Him alone. We may still have time...
A Gleaning from Psalm 62
" Only God can save me, therefore I stand silently before Him...this is the secret place from where my rescue originates...where my very salvation has it's origin. {Note: the first protocol requirement...to understand we are needing saved from the sin in our own lives, and stand in silence allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us as to what we need to do.}
Only God is the Rock of my Rescue...the Rock of my Salvation. When I follow the path that leads me to this "Rock", it becomes my place of refuge, my fortress, a defense that is impregnable like a strong-built castle. { Note: the second protocol...only God can save us from situation(s) we face in life, and we begin our journey of faith in knowing He is "Our Rock".} No matter what I have been through, no matter what I may be facing now, and no matter what may lie ahead; I am secure, I am protected from being shaken to the point of no hope, this Rock I find refuge in... causes Fear to let go of it's grip on me...and cannot enter this place of safety.
This Rock of Safety gives me some room, room to breathe, and room for my very soul to find some much needed rest...that I might listen to Him...His Will for me, His thoughts about me, and to settle those emotions within me that have caused so much havoc.
At present, my natural eyes declare the things going on in my life are hopeless, and my defense against these assaults seem useless...like a great outer wall beginning to show signs of sagging, a fence that at the mere touch is shaky and about to fall, or a strong wall that is leaning profusely.
It seems all my troubles in life have gathered together and had a meeting, consulting one another on plans to bring me down and end it all...or at least humiliate me and cause dishonor to be associated with my name. And their plans are covered in deceit: for the words from their lips are covered in kindness...even saying "I hope he is blessed", yet from this Rock of Safety...I see the very motives of their hearts, and it does "not line up" with what is coming forth from their lips. Their hearts are filled with curses for me...not blessings! Their hearts are filled with hatred and indifference toward me...only hoping my end might be soon. {Note: protocol 3:when we approach His Throne crying out for His Grace and Mercy, we must allow Him full access to our own hearts }.
Yet now I am tucked away...in my Rock, my God...and my trust is in Him to rescue me. All my dependence is on Him, and I wait for Him...to show me what to do. { protocol 4: to allow Him the time to establish a friendship with each of us, that we might know Him. } This is where my heart discovers His Peace, where my heart is given Hope once more, and where my Faith waits with an expectancy.
There is no other rock that can offer this kind of assistance to me. He is my only Rock! He is my Defense! He is my Fortress! He is my very Salvation! In this place where He has given me room to breathe...this is where I find my Strength...my Strength in Him and in Him alone!
Only by rendering myself to my God, my Rock...is where I find the protection I need, my success in life, and honor to my name that gives all the Glory to Him!
So I write this to you my friend, all of our trust and confidence in life...is found in Him! This is the place to unload the burdens of your hearts, and find the Grace and Mercy you so desperately want in your life. Selah {meaning to take the time and give this thought...until it finds it's home in your heart and mind.}
If you really think about it, we are all of low degree. Our lives are nothing more than a series of futility, yet we are so proud of our achievements coupled with a high dignity of ourselves...but we soon realize we are only fooling ourselves...it's all nothing more than a mirage. Besides, our lives in the eyes of Heaven are nothing more than a breath, like lighting a candle, only to simply blow out the same candle with one mere breath of air.
Another thing, don't allow yourself to get all wrapped up in windfalls and excellent returns on your investments, and don't allow yourself to get involved with extortion, usury, or reverting to violence (whether it be verbal or physical)...thinking this is your only hope to get ahead in life. Along with this, don't rob others of their hard earned money. And even if your riches increase in an honest matter, don't let your heart "sell out", replacing "The Rock of your Salvation" for some temporal treasures that are here today...and gone tomorrow.
Ok, while I am spending time in this refuge...this Rock whom I depend on, I have heard Him speak this to me...make that 2 things He has spoke to me:
1) All my strength and power to live...to discover ways to love life...originate from Him.
2) All the acts of Grace and Mercy that I receive in my life as well as anyone of various cultures throughout time...come from a very kind and loving God, and given to us according to how we consider Him, and how we treat...one another."
Note: { David gives us some specific instructions on how to "cultivate a culture of Grace and Mercy"...to our culture today. A past theologian, John Calvin wrote in reference to Psalm 62 that although the true desire of various afflictions are to overtake us, we shall not be moved because of them...even when they arrive one after another.
Calvin went on to write that our expectations in this life must be of a foundation that has a total and complete reliance on Him. We must allow the discipline of trusting Him be the dominant role in our short-lived lives here on earth.}
To cultivate a culture of Grace and Mercy, we must adhere to the disciplines required to freely receive His Grace and Mercy into our own lives as well as the lives of others...and receive these gifts with joy from a grateful heart....
What is evident in these passages was David was in trouble once again, being chased by his very own son Absalom, who desired to be king...so much so that he wanted his own father (the present king) to be killed.
Yet David knew from his trust in the Lord this wasn't the way...this wasn't the path he needed to take. Why? Because He knew his God was not the designer of this path, and by doing so would only lead to more harm for him...and for others. Psalm 62:1-2 describes what David was thinking in his heart : " He's a solid Rock under my feet...a place I can receive some breathing room for my soul."
David needed some time to think all this out...what had happened in his life and what was he going to do now. He was acquainted with God's acts of Grace and Mercy in his own life...and he needed it now!
Those of us who have grown up in a "western culture" have been submerged in the idea of protocol. We come home only to find the front door unlocked...so we immediately search to find who was to blame for this. We investigate this thoroughly, using deductive reasoning and diligence in our search...until we find that person and pronounce them "guilty as charged".
At the same time we in western culture neglect to use proper protocol when it comes to other more important issues...choosing to be uninvolved, not to bother, or simply too lazy to pursue. We give up on our spouses, we let our children go about their lives neglected,and choose not to follow protocol when we see others in need, but yield to apathy instead.
In these chapters in the Psalms, David is definitely in a "broken relationship" with his own son Absalom...and that's putting it mildly...Absalom wanted his own father put to death. Now, protocol requires us to find out how this originated and ultimately find the guilty party. And this is where David moves from the "western way of protocol" to another form of solution...he simply cried out for the Grace and Mercy of His God.
In our culture today, we find our present society in dire need of the Grace and Mercy of God. Going to the Oxford Dictionary, the following definitions are given for Grace and Mercy:
Grace: "to give someone favor not deserved, often yielding a response of joy, pleasure, delight, and gratitude from the recipient of this decision."
Mercy: " choosing to exercise compassion and forgiveness toward someone when having the authority to punish and harm if so desired."
There are two things I take note of in David's response to his dilemma: 1) His heart...although Absalom desired David dead, David loved Absalom, and chose to seek God's Grace and Mercy in this situation...regardless who was to blame for their relationship to have come to this point...choosing to seek His Maker than to follow the natural rules of protocol, and 2) establish the right protocol in coming to God...not on our terms, rather on His terms.
In this day and age, we often hear the phrase "the Grace and Mercy of God", and how much they are needed in situations in our lives. We suffer in our western society the epidemic of broken families like no other time in history, divorces and separations of loved ones leaving many to feel alone in facing problems in their lives, and although communication from modern technology is at an all-time high in history, the communication between families and our friends is at an all-time low in history as well. Yet, to cultivate a culture that relies on the Grace and Mercy of God and see the healing of relationships we so desperately need, we must understand God's protocol needed in order to receive these things from Him. It doesn't guarantee both parties will find the remedy most needed, for Absalom ended up meeting his death because he made the choice not to follow God's protocol that would give him the direction he too so desperately needed...but David did his part to stand before the Ancient One and cry out for Grace and Mercy in the situation he found himself in.
Cultivating a Culture of Grace and Mercy begins with each of us...and as we begin to follow God's protocol for a beginning of healing in our generation through God's generous acts of Grace and Mercy... perhaps we too have time to make a difference in our present culture.
David's message to us in Psalm 62 came with a great price...although God followed through with what He promised to David...the loss of his own son was a painful experience that lasted throughout the rest of David's life. God's protocol begins with this: our salvation comes through Him...and Him alone. We may still have time...
A Gleaning from Psalm 62
" Only God can save me, therefore I stand silently before Him...this is the secret place from where my rescue originates...where my very salvation has it's origin. {Note: the first protocol requirement...to understand we are needing saved from the sin in our own lives, and stand in silence allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us as to what we need to do.}
Only God is the Rock of my Rescue...the Rock of my Salvation. When I follow the path that leads me to this "Rock", it becomes my place of refuge, my fortress, a defense that is impregnable like a strong-built castle. { Note: the second protocol...only God can save us from situation(s) we face in life, and we begin our journey of faith in knowing He is "Our Rock".} No matter what I have been through, no matter what I may be facing now, and no matter what may lie ahead; I am secure, I am protected from being shaken to the point of no hope, this Rock I find refuge in... causes Fear to let go of it's grip on me...and cannot enter this place of safety.
This Rock of Safety gives me some room, room to breathe, and room for my very soul to find some much needed rest...that I might listen to Him...His Will for me, His thoughts about me, and to settle those emotions within me that have caused so much havoc.
At present, my natural eyes declare the things going on in my life are hopeless, and my defense against these assaults seem useless...like a great outer wall beginning to show signs of sagging, a fence that at the mere touch is shaky and about to fall, or a strong wall that is leaning profusely.
It seems all my troubles in life have gathered together and had a meeting, consulting one another on plans to bring me down and end it all...or at least humiliate me and cause dishonor to be associated with my name. And their plans are covered in deceit: for the words from their lips are covered in kindness...even saying "I hope he is blessed", yet from this Rock of Safety...I see the very motives of their hearts, and it does "not line up" with what is coming forth from their lips. Their hearts are filled with curses for me...not blessings! Their hearts are filled with hatred and indifference toward me...only hoping my end might be soon. {Note: protocol 3:when we approach His Throne crying out for His Grace and Mercy, we must allow Him full access to our own hearts }.
Yet now I am tucked away...in my Rock, my God...and my trust is in Him to rescue me. All my dependence is on Him, and I wait for Him...to show me what to do. { protocol 4: to allow Him the time to establish a friendship with each of us, that we might know Him. } This is where my heart discovers His Peace, where my heart is given Hope once more, and where my Faith waits with an expectancy.
There is no other rock that can offer this kind of assistance to me. He is my only Rock! He is my Defense! He is my Fortress! He is my very Salvation! In this place where He has given me room to breathe...this is where I find my Strength...my Strength in Him and in Him alone!
Only by rendering myself to my God, my Rock...is where I find the protection I need, my success in life, and honor to my name that gives all the Glory to Him!
So I write this to you my friend, all of our trust and confidence in life...is found in Him! This is the place to unload the burdens of your hearts, and find the Grace and Mercy you so desperately want in your life. Selah {meaning to take the time and give this thought...until it finds it's home in your heart and mind.}
If you really think about it, we are all of low degree. Our lives are nothing more than a series of futility, yet we are so proud of our achievements coupled with a high dignity of ourselves...but we soon realize we are only fooling ourselves...it's all nothing more than a mirage. Besides, our lives in the eyes of Heaven are nothing more than a breath, like lighting a candle, only to simply blow out the same candle with one mere breath of air.
Another thing, don't allow yourself to get all wrapped up in windfalls and excellent returns on your investments, and don't allow yourself to get involved with extortion, usury, or reverting to violence (whether it be verbal or physical)...thinking this is your only hope to get ahead in life. Along with this, don't rob others of their hard earned money. And even if your riches increase in an honest matter, don't let your heart "sell out", replacing "The Rock of your Salvation" for some temporal treasures that are here today...and gone tomorrow.
Ok, while I am spending time in this refuge...this Rock whom I depend on, I have heard Him speak this to me...make that 2 things He has spoke to me:
1) All my strength and power to live...to discover ways to love life...originate from Him.
Note: { David gives us some specific instructions on how to "cultivate a culture of Grace and Mercy"...to our culture today. A past theologian, John Calvin wrote in reference to Psalm 62 that although the true desire of various afflictions are to overtake us, we shall not be moved because of them...even when they arrive one after another.
Calvin went on to write that our expectations in this life must be of a foundation that has a total and complete reliance on Him. We must allow the discipline of trusting Him be the dominant role in our short-lived lives here on earth.}
To cultivate a culture of Grace and Mercy, we must adhere to the disciplines required to freely receive His Grace and Mercy into our own lives as well as the lives of others...and receive these gifts with joy from a grateful heart....
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