As I was reading this psalm-song of David, I was doing so with a headache that overwhelmed me for a bit until the medication could ease it.  I also got notification that a dear friend of ours was in pain over a much worse sickness that paused her and her husband’s missionary work.  Circumstances come into our lives that cause the pause. What do we do in the pause?  Is our first thought to worry, stress, complain, wonder, get angry and feed our bitterness over that which we cannot control?  Or do we ask God to be gracious, like David does, trust God will hear and listen?  David spills out his current life happenings to the One he knows will listen and help—and God responds.  That’s how God works—but He does it in His time, for His glory, and our good. 

The pause between this and that seems to be the exact time God does His best work in us.  Embrace the pause—it’s the most spiritual act we can do when we don’t know what to be or do next. 

Psalm 41

A psalm of David.

^1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

^4-7 I said, “God, be gracious!
    Put me together again—
    my sins have torn me to pieces.”
My enemies are wishing the worst for me;
    they make bets on what day I will die.
If someone comes to see me,
    he mouths empty platitudes,
All the while gathering gossip about me
    to entertain the street-corner crowd.
These “friends” who hate me
    whisper slanders all over town.
They form committees
    to plan misery for me.

^8-9 The rumor goes out, “He’s got some dirty,
    deadly disease. The doctors
    have given up on him.”
Even my best friend, the one I always told everything
    —he ate meals at my house all the time!—
    has bitten my hand.

¹⁰ God, give grace, get me up on my feet.
    I’ll show them a thing or two.

^11-12 Meanwhile, I’m sure you’re on my side—
    no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp!
You know me inside and out, you hold me together,
    you never fail to stand me tall in your presence
    so I can look you in the eye.

¹³ Blessed is God, Israel’s God,
    always, always, always.
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

David fled from Saul prior to replacing him as king.  God is still in control.

God delivers us from trouble. The pause and the wait for God to intercede may be difficult, but we can be thankful for the outcome and can then tell others about how God works in all our lives!

The God of David is our God today!  Do we believe this fact to be the Truth? Pause and pray, asking God to help strengthen our resolve and faith.

David is known for being a man after the heart of God.  This psalm of David is a prayer that begins with who God is with how He works.  David lists the blessings of God in whom all his trust is placed. David runs to God for wisdom in all circumstances.  David adds that fact that healing comes from God, too!  David was a man in whom God would heals, raising him from his sickbed. Do we truly believe that God can do that for us, too?

Pause to pray.

Warren Wiersbe writes;

“God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve, and God in His grace gives us what we don’t deserve. He does this because of Jesus Christ, His Son, who died for us on the cross. David prayed for mercy, because he knew he had sinned. He also affirmed his integrity, for he had walked before the Lord in humility and submission. When confronted with his sins, he confessed them and sought the face of the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13–17).  God seeks those hearts who are fully committed to Him.”

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a, NIV 

In our imperfect world we are in a constant battle between God and evil.  Jesus’ work on the cross, His resurrection from death to life defeated evil.  Jesus took our place of punishment that we do not deserve but as God’s gift to us! However, God’s defeated Enemy still attacks our thinking to distract and deceive us from Truth (Jesus) with the ultimate goal to deconstruct our trust in God, bit by bit, until he can destroy our faith forever.  He will do this in various ways—even in godly ways to draw us into his lair.

Pause for a minute; Do you believe the Enemy can do this?  What are you doing to prepared for it?  (See Ephesians 6)  If we do not believe there is an enemy of God who attacks our faith; then we are defeated already. 

Know God.  Know the Enemy.  Know Ourselves!  We must know and evaluate often the depths of our faith and resolve that sends us running to God, in Jesus Name, so we can claim continuing victory over the Enemy!  “Stand still”, say the ancients, (or pause say our contemporaries), and God will fight for you!  (Exodus 14:14) 

What a relief to know God does and will fight for us at every turn of events!  Burdens are lifted at Calvery, we used to sing growing up in “old school” church; but it remains to be true! I’ve seen it with my own eyes and heard Him with my own ears! 

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, designated by God! Why trust anyone else?  I can’t think of a reason not to trust the One who is in control—even if I don’t see it or feel it—God is and forever will be with us.

Pause to ponder over this Truth. Look up to the One who so loved us He died to save us!  THIS is the pause that truly refreshes!

Lord,

Thank you for these encouraging words and thoughts as we pause over Your Word that heals, refreshes and feeds our souls. Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole. Thank you for the robust life that depends on you daily to fight our battles before we even realize we are in harms way.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen