In a moment of reflection, I
closed my eyes. With the world silenced, I recalled those times in my life when
I was praising God from the mountaintop. I recalled the joy of my wedding day,
as I stood disbelieving that the woman at the end of the aisle had chosen me. I
recalled the birth of my daughters and that wonderful sense of awe that only
ten little toes and ten little fingers could create. In those mountaintop
moments, I gave my love and trust to a God that was visible.
I also recalled those painful moments
when I was far from the mountaintop. I remember the darkness surrounding me in
moments when I failed to be a husband or father I could be. I remembered the
darkness when my wife’s routine visit turned into a cancer diagnosis. When I
was in the muck of the valley, God was so much harder to see. My prayers became
less about praise and thankfulness than about demanding answers.
In the shadow and darkness, my
prayers became rawer. Knee deep in the muck, I wanted to know why us, or why
me. Our hurt was not what we had agreed to. In those dark moments, my anger
would rush like a tidal wave with demands for not only help but vengeance and
retribution. I wanted God to fix things and fix them according to my heart, not
God’s.
Psalm 79 is often called the ‘prayer
from the pit’ as it recalls the anger and hurt of those moments when we find
ourselves far from the mountaintop. It is raw and asks for vengeance. It also
becomes our reminder that when we find ourselves in the valley that our God
doesn’t expect prayers that are flowing with milk and honey. Instead, God longs
for his place among the rawness. It’s not what I say, but my desire to reach
out to God that matters most. Psalm 79 is our reminder that in those moments in
the muck, it’s about giving a muddy place to God.
How has God worked in those
moments when you have found yourself in the pit?
What can we do to help ourselves see God precisely in those
moments before they arrive?
Pastor Scott Masters, Asbury Church,
Chesterfield, NH;
New England Annual Conference of
the United Methodist Church 10
[1]
During
this blessed season of Advent we will enjoy together daily devotions which are
shared by Local Pastors and Associate Members of the United Methodist Church
from around the United States. I
had the privilege of participating in this project, and look forward to sharing
these daily uplifting thoughts with you over the season from now (Thanksgiving)
to January 1st. Each author will be
identified, and we thank them in advance for each contribution.
