Daily Dose of the Word of God - Psalm 28: 1-2

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07  

Good morning friends and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church, and it's Thursday May 8 - Sunday is coming. It's the season of Eastertide, and we have the opportunity to respond to the reality of Jesus' resurrection life. Today's Bible reading is from Psalm 28, verses 1 and 2.

Gregg DeMey  0:29  

To you, O Lord, I call you are my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me, for if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy, as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy place.

Gregg DeMey  0:54  

When we need help, there is really only one place where we can go. The Psalm says, "to you, O Lord, I call..." But what if God doesn't answer? What if God were deaf? What if God never spoke up or responded? The psalmist says, "I'd be as good as dead if that were the case." Like those who go down to the grave - literally - we have no hope apart from the goodness of God. It is true that God can answer and respond in a myriad of creative ways and in God's own timing. Sometimes God has responded to my cries with the medical help of doctors, nurses or surgeons. Sometimes God has answered me and responded with a word of Scripture. Sometimes, with a letter from a person (or an email). One time it was through a phone call that was so miraculously perfectly timed that I knew it was directly from God. Sometimes it is through a still small voice. Sometimes God even answers through a memory or a dream. All I know is that I cry out a lot and that God is the source of every good answer and solution. All the hope and confidence we have in the future depends on God responding to our need and our weakness. I love that the psalmist also teaches us a posture to go along with our desperate cries for help. Did you catch it? "As I call for help,"The psalmist says, "I lift up my hands toward your most holy place."

Gregg DeMey  2:34  

Sometimes we think of raised hands in prayer or worship as a contemporary expression, but it's been 1000s of years of tradition that God's people have been raising their hands in openness and dependence toward heaven as the ultimate source of our help - towards the one who is behind every good gift. Will you lift up your hands and pray with me this morning?

Gregg DeMey 3:01  

Oh, God, we need you. How we need you every hour. We need you today. We need your blessing. We come to you in our weakness, in our dependence and in our confidence. In Christ alone, in Jesus name we pray, amen.