Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Prayer of the Broken Heart

[1] 
Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.  Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.  For troubles surround me—too many to count!  My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out.  They outnumber the hairs on my head.  I have lost all courage.  Please, Lord, rescue me!  Come quickly, Lord, and help me.  May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame.  May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace.  Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”  But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you.  May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”  As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.  You are my helper and my savior.  O my God, do not delay.  Psalm 40:11-17

If you consider this Psalm in its entirety you watch King David pour out his heart like a bucket loader empties a load of rubbish onto a dump truck.  Just because he was king over the most powerful nation on earth, David’s life was not simple and without heartbreak; just the opposite.  This Psalm is all over the place with thankfulness for God’s previous rescues in answer to prayer, and current conditions of enemies’ plots driving fears and worry.  David wants to rejoice and be faithful, but he knows himself too well; his frazzled life comes unglued and he knows only God can make a difference.  David’s heart is breaking like a dried turkey wishbone under the load of what’s pulling him apart.
Ever been there?  Silly question.
If you’ve lived on this planet for more than 30 minutes you’ve experienced the brokenness of disappointment, fear, heartache, loss, weakness, plans gone south, and the short-lived nature of victories.
From a personal inventory check David confesses before God that his sins are like a mountain, and that he’s lost all courage to even admit it.  And in the next instant he lays that mountain on the broad shoulders of God’s unfailing love and mercy.  This is the way a broken heart prays…holding nothing back…fully leaning the weight of eternity on God’s forgiveness and grace.
With his internal chaos laid on the table David mentions (almost as an afterthought) his enemies plotting against him, spreading rumors to damage David’s reputation and leadership.  But, it’s clear from the outpouring emotions and confidence in God the external problems of people who want to see him destroyed are miniscule considering David’s opinion about what his own lack of fidelity to God has made of his life.  It is abundantly clear that the depth of the king’s relationship with God matters more to him than whatever an earthly enemy could possibly do to him.  The Apostle Paul expressed this very thought in his letter to the Roman church:

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Romans 8:31b

This is the raw essence of the prayer of a broken, desperate heart that has run out of options.  When you come to the point of understanding that there is nothing in the universe that can match how God loves you, and wants to hold your soul with lovingkindness and mercy, and heal what hurts with His outstretched hands full of grace…then you’re ready to pray.
For You Today
The silly question was ever been there?  The right question is where are you now?  If you identify with David’s brokenness, and his heart that knows only God can help, you’re ready to pray.  And if you’re there, you know there’s nothing else more important on your agenda today.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

No comments:

Post a Comment