Lenten Meditation Day 10 2017

Scripture

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b]
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

Prayer

Father, let me not hide your steadfast love. You remember it always, let it be every present in my mind. Keep me from shame, doubt, and the lie of my own doing. I am poor but you have thought of me. Thank you for your deliverance. Amen

Meditation

Have you ever been to an amusement park when they were opening a new roller coaster? When the gates open everyone makes their way toward the new coaster. They can’t wait to get there and experience the thrill and adrenaline. As you draw closer to the ride you see a queue or line of people. “Is this the line for the Shockwave?” They sigh and responded, “Yes.” So you get behind them. After about fifteen minutes and very little movement you come upon a sign that informs you that from that spot the wait time is 2 hours 15 minutes. You think that maybe you should go ride other rides and come back when the line is over but you are sure it will never be short so you stay in line. People pass by shaking their heads wondering why anyone would stay in line. You build quick friendships with those around you sharing stories of all the other roller coasters you have ridden. Talking about how great this ride will be. Comparing notes of longest length of time you had waited in line before. You pass the sign that says 1 hour 30 minutes to the ride and you celebrate. Someone tries to go buy food for the group ahead of you and get back in line. You have to decide if you show grace or send them all to the back. More people walk by shaking their heads. Someone yells to the line that there are plenty of other rides in the park. You pass the sign that says 45 minutes till the ride. You are almost there. Someone notices that the weather looks a bit overcast and wonders if the ride shuts down in a storm. You check the weather app radar and it might hold off until after you ride. You have tired of the friends you had made in line because they seem to want to “one up” every story you tell. Soon we will be on the ride and away from them. You are now going through the weaving of the line. You are in the experience. There are video screens telling you about the ride, a story that goes along with the “Shockwave” name. You begin to negotiate with your riding partners. Do you try to get into the very front or very back car. You know this will make your wait longer but it will be worth it. You decide and wait the extra 1 minutes to ride the front and you climb aboard. The clicking of the chain as you ascend the first hill is exhilarating. You reach the top and zoom down an almost 90 degree drop. After some corkscrew rolls, loops and quick turns you are back at the beginning. A total of 2 minutes 20 seconds spent on the ride. You can’t wait to ride it again so to the back of the line you head.

Patient waiting on the Lord requires us to have complete trust in His steadfast love. People will shake their heads at you and tell you of other ways. You will have deep relationship and conflicts with those you are walking with. It sometimes seems like God only appears for a moment and then is gone, but He is not. His thoughts are toward you and His steadfast love preserves you.

Action:

Make a list of the appears of God in your life. Those moments when it, to you, seems He is most present. Praise Him for those moments. And Praise Him for the moments it seems that He is not there but is.