When do we seriously forget the flowery, repeating, holy prayer words to look up and call on God with all that is in us?  Think about it—how bad does our circumstance have to be to fall on our knees in humbled surrender to Him, willing to wait for an answer from Him?

Asaph cries out to God, to remind God of the situation, (as if God does not know).  Even though he extols God as the One who can take care of the situation, with a touch of revenge and a heaping dose of bitterness seeping into in his heart, he continues to tell God all the details of Jerusalem’s fall to a pile of rubble with loved ones killed in the because of the marauding barbaric nations.  Blame comes next.  “Don’t blame us, Lord, for the sins of our parents.”  At this point, Asaph is unhinged with stress, broken in mourning the losses, and disgusted at how the barbarians demolished and desecrated God’s Holy Temple. But he still has the faith to call on God!

“How long do we have to put up with this, God?” Asap pleads. Let’s stop there, pause and consider how many times we have asked this same question of God through our own tears, brokenness, and pain.  We cannot judge Asaph’s prayer song because we have felt the hurt, suffered the losses, with strong desires for God to “fix it” and make it right for us!

Psalm 79, The Message

A psalm of Asaph.

^1-4 God! Barbarians have broken into your home,
    violated your holy temple,
    left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
They’ve served up the corpses of your servants
    as carrion food for birds of prey,
Threw the bones of your holy people
    out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
They dumped out their blood
    like buckets of water.
All around Jerusalem, their bodies
    were left to rot, unburied.
We’re nothing but a joke to our neighbors,
    graffiti scrawled on the city walls.

^5-7 How long do we have to put up with this, God?
    Do you have it in for us for good?
    Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
If you’re going to be angry, be angry
    with the pagans who care nothing about you,
    or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
They’re the ones who ruined Jacob,
    who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.

^8-10 Don’t blame us for the sins of our parents.
    Hurry up and help us; we’re at the end of our rope.
You’re famous for helping; God, give us a break.
    Your reputation is on the line.
Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
    do what you’re famous for doing!
Don’t let the heathen get by with their sneers:
    “Where’s your God? Is he out to lunch?”
Go public and show the godless world
    that they can’t kill your servants and get by with it.

^11-13 Give groaning prisoners a hearing;
    pardon those on death row from their doom—you can do it!
Give our jeering neighbors what they’ve got coming to them;
    let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for,
    will thank you over and over and over.
We’ll tell everyone we meet
    how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

As a child, our older daughter would dutifully get in the car on a hot summer day with the family and immediately say loudly; “I’m not at maximum comfort”. This came from a new reader who could now read the A/C levels in front of her.  It was cute at first, then this complaint before the engine even revved up, became annoying for all of us—especially in the teen years when she imagined cute might get her way.  

We explained, it takes time for the A/C unit to cool the car—just wait for a bit.  But when you are not at maximum comfort, waiting is excruciating!

Then we read of Paul, sitting chained to a wall in a dark underground jail, who leads songs of praise with his jail mates and then pens encouraging words from God to the churches God sent him to plant in strategic towns of commerce;

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:1-9

With reasons to give thanks in all circumstances!

^“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. —Paul, Philippians 4:10-13

Come to Jesus.  Surrender to His power, wisdom, and strength.  Jesus changes everything about the way we think and behave.  His Holy Spirit guides us to all that is truth.  Think Jesus. Think Truth. God gives us the perspective we need in all the trials we face with power that sustains us in pain and suffering.  Our God is truly an awesome God who cares about us.  We will not always be a “maximum comfort” for that is only a measure of man; but we will always be held close by God who knows exactly what we need when we need Him most.  Trust Him!

Lord,

No complaints—only praise!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen