Getting Ready to Hope - Psalm 130-131
Devotional Message to the Board of Administration
Leslie L. Krober, Bishop April 7, 2001

Introduction

There are moments when we simply have to get back to the basics.

One of those moments is when life sags or when motivation shrivels and our ability to hope for something better takes it on the chin. When circumstances kick "joy" out the back door, it is easy to stop hoping. When, because of "stuff," our hope dries up, it is easy to throw the deadbolt on the future.

Hope is adrenaline for the spirit. It is strengthened by the unexpected, like an espresso connoisseur finding a Starbucks in a strange city. Hope is rejuvenated by expressions of caring, like when a loved one calls long distance and connects to our heart with a listening ear. Hope infuses and lifts the human soul.

Hope is just sort of 'there.' It is an intangible emotion. As such it is not something we contemplate or discuss much, until it is draining away or in short supply. Hope runs silently until suddenly we notice it is no longer on our radar screen. We tend to presume upon it and take it for granted till life beats us up.

In Psalms 130 and 131, which are psalms of ascent, sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem for the great feast of Passover, David guides what to do when hope is in short supply and we are in the depths. It is his prescription for a restoration of hope. Let's take note.


A. Preparing to Hope

1. Get a grip on being in the depths (130:1)

Just as there are foundational bits in communication (the A, B, C's of the alphabet or the ones and zeros of the digital world), there are first steps in responding to a loss of hope.

Getting a grip means becoming aware of the loss that has occurred or is imminent. Perhaps our sense of worth is threatened or our relationships are marginal or our soul's well being is uncertain. Perhaps there is relational conflict and there is spiritual, emotional or physical pain. Getting a grip simply means that we recognize it, face it and admit it to ourselves: "I am hurting. I am depressed. I have little hope that this is going to change."

Getting a grip means that we recognize we have slid into the depths.

2. Cry to God out of the depths! (130:1)

A. Say to God: "Hear me...O Lord!"

Say: "Lord, this is your servant and I am in trouble down here. Remember me? Do you know my name? I am sinking in the quagmire. Throw me a rope."

What is the point here? David reminds us that we must go to the Lord first, and a counselor second. We must go to the Lord first, and our spouse second. We must go to the Lord first, and our human confidant second. It is getting first things first, that's all.

If God is not the first one to whom we turn for help, then we must realize that we are missing the best one. Get first things first.

B. Say to God: "Be attentive to me...to my cry for mercy."

We set our suffering openly, squarely, and passionately before God. When we come before God and place our condition on display, God focuses on our complaint, our need. God looks us in the eye and says:
"You have my ear. Let me have the whole story. Come on, pour it out."

As we do so, God will remind us that fear, loneliness, confusion, doubt, loss and tragedy are all part of the human condition. Wounds and wounded ness are normative. We tend to wrongly expect that following God should set us free from wounds. Not so. Wounds serve to make us dependent on God and that is good. Wounds are some of God's most effective soul development tools.

As we cry for mercy about our normal wounded ness, we begin to be counseled by the small voice of the Lord.

God reminds us (See Ps. 130:3-4) of a greater tragedy that could occur: He could keep track of our sins and hold them against us. He could throw our whole being into hell. But God, in Christ, lets go of our sins. There is forgiveness with the Lord. This great forgiveness from God, who could justly judge harshly for sin, causes us to fear him, to reverence him, to want to know him. It puts the littler stuff of life in proper perspective.

Preparing to hope? We get a grip and cry for mercy and receive mercy on our soul. But having done that, we need to lean further into David's insight into the ways of God. He implies that there are at least four prerequisites that prepare the way for hope. Let's note them in turn.


1. Contemplation - A Waiting Soul - Ps. 130 :5-6

Three times he says it: "My soul waits for the Lord." Do we get it? This is important. Waiting tends to narrow the focus and tune our mind into the essentials. The longer we wait for something or someone, the more fixated we become on the fact that we do not yet have that for which we wait, but the focus is on the Lord and that is good.

David says: "My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman waits for the morning." Only those who have stayed up all night keeping watch can understand how long a night can be and how powerfully one begins to long for the rising of the sun. There are moments just before the first hint of dawn, when you begin to wonder if the sun will ever rise. Waiting nurtures within us the proper spirit of dependence on God.

Before hope can be renewed in us, we must wait on the Lord.

2. Correction - A Humbled Soul - Ps. 131:1

David says: "My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me."

Haughty eyes? The eyes are a window on the soul. They reveal whether or not the will is yielded. They show whether or not our neck is stiff against the pull of God's yoke.

David is trying to tell us that we must let go of the arrogance, which says:
"I am needed on this issue. You can't get this done without me, God." God knows we are like a drop in the bucket. We are only one of more than six billion souls on earth. God needs us to admit that he doesn't really need us on this one.

A prerequisite for the renewing of hope is this correction, this attitude adjustment in which we come humbly before the Lord and say, "You can solve this your way and in your time. I take my hands off. You do not need me."

Before hope can be renewed in us, we must be humbled before the Lord.

3. Calmness - A Stilled Soul - Ps. 131:2

David writes: "I have stilled ... my soul." What is the insight here? What is this third prerequisite? It is that we cannot hear the directive voice of God when there is noise in our soul. We have to be quiet enough to hear God.
God, as Lord of the Universe expects to have such respect from us that he need not raise his voice. There should be a holy hush on our soul such that when he speaks, we hear him. God only raises his voice as a last resort.

With unbelievers God keeps quietly, persistently knocking on the heart door, never getting angry and hostile, never beating down the door, never screaming to the occupant, "If you knew what were good for you, you'd open up this door!" He stands, he knocks and he expects that when the person knows what is best and when the person comes to the end of his or her own resources, he or she will let him in."

In that same manner, he speaks to us believers in our despair. In that same manner he speaks to us in the depths. "I am here. It is okay. I have everything you need. Thanks for finally calming down enough to be able to hear my voice."

Before hope can be renewed in us, we must be still before the Lord.

4. Contentment - A Quieted Soul - Ps. 131:2

David writes: "I have quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child with its mother is my soul within me."

A weaned child is a child that no longer frets for what it used to find indispensable. I have seen my own children, hungry, passionate for the nurture of their mother's breast. Being picked up, seeing that mother has come to feed them, they have opened their mouth and almost frantically sought to latch on to the source which will satiate their hunger, their thirst.

But once they have eaten, their spirit is calm and content. The feeding frenzy has given way to a peaceful spirit. Having had their needs met, they rest in their mother's arms.

Being an infant, they do not yet know about the joys of things more substantial, like pasta or bread or a porterhouse steak or a baked potato with all the toppings. They do not yet know that there are better days coming at the table. Their world is still mother-centered and self-fixated.

But the weaned child knows more. It is older and wiser. It is two or three years of age and is able to sit and receive more solid food from a spoon. This child may be able to feed itself to some degree. The weaned child has moved from the less substantial milk to the more substantive pabulum and fruit and vegetables and cereal. The frenzy of the days where it thought that mother's milk was all there was and they had to have it or die, are gone.

Contentment has come. There is enough life experience to know that the people who love you are going to try to feed you. The weaned child is able to wait quietly, because this child sees the parent at work in the kitchen. The weaned child knows something good is coming and that it is better than what they could fix for him or herself. The weaned child is content with what the parent will provide.

Note again the pride and haughtiness (verse one), which speak of an independent spirit and unruly ambition. Contrast that with the contented dependence of the weaned child (verse two). This prerequisite of the quieted or contented soul is the last essential piece of the puzzle. When we add this response to a willingness to wait, humility and calmness, God is set free to work in us for the restoration of hope.

Before hope can be renewed in us, we must be content with the Lord alone.

Supt. David Kendall wrote in his conference communiqué about five suggestions of Pastor Leith Anderson on the topic of maintaining hope. I share Leith's suggestions and David's commentary on them with you.

1. Look at the Kingdom, not just your corner

In the trenches, it may seem we are being slaughtered, but from God's perspective, he is bringing decisive victory to the whole theater of battle. We are on the winning side. We are going to win.

Every advance of Spirit, no matter how small it may seem, is a sign of ultimate victory. Our faithfulness counts. We must be encouraged that we are contributing to something huge, though we see only a small, or no, part of it presently. We live and serve by faith, not sight. Next, to maintain hope:

2. Look to Christ, not circumstances

Too often, we live by emotions rather than faith, far more than we like to admit. We receive a host of compliments, but agonize over one critical comment.

Christ is both pioneer and perfecter of our faith. We must keep our eyes on him. Note his seeming failure, and note his confrontations with difficult circumstances and people. Note how he kept encouraged by routine references to the Father's will, by regular time away, by getting alone, in silence before the Father, by reminding himself of what Scripture says and by cherishing the fellowship of the disciples.

We are seeking to be like Jesus; therefore let's get the focus off circumstances and onto the substantial things of eternity and the Father's will.
Again, do you wish to maintain hope?

3. Look at successes and not just problems

The children of Israel set up stones of remembrance after crossing Jordan. They kept the feasts with vivid imagery, with banners, with incense, with festal gowns, with trumpet blast and procession recalling God's mighty acts.
They found ways to celebrate the successes of God's redeeming work of which they were a part. We should do the same.

Some pastors keep a file of thank you notes and cards that provide a reminder during hard times that God has used them in wonderful ways. Some keep a journal, which can be read later and provide perspective on the present struggles.

Find a way to recall what good things God has done, when apparently bad things would capture your attention.

4. Look at reality, not just the exceptions.

Our modern image-conscious world has a way of projecting images that are unreal, but that we often adopt as the standard. For example, the cover girl model becomes the standard of beauty and the mega-church pastor sets the pace for successful pastoring. In fact, these exceptions that may not even be real.

The cover girl is not really like that, so why should many women feel inferior and waste energy trying to emulate an unreal ideal? The mega-church pastor is not necessarily the model pastor. In fact, a big church may not necessarily be an authentic church. At any rate, one church-story cannot possibly be the pattern for all churches.

So focus on the real. The fact is that life is difficult and ministry is difficult.
We expect struggle and hardship. The church is always a mixed bag, even in
"good" churches and even in denominations that are progressing and growing.

We learn and become complete - grace is made perfect - through what we suffer, as Jesus did. Let's remember another fact: ministry in partnership with Jesus by the power of the Spirit is deeply satisfying, regardless of our ability to stack it up against the latest famous person, pastor or church.

Our final counsel regarding the maintaining of hope is this:

5. Look at call, not just comfort

Discipleship is not an invitation to be comfortable; it means embracing the inconvenient at times.

Leadership is doing what needs to be done at the time, as guided by God with the power of the Spirit.

We simply do it, prayerfully and faithfully because we know it needs to be done. We expect God will bless, as we are faithful.

There is great satisfaction in knowing we have been called and given something to do that plays a role in the huge plans of God, and you have done it. That is the kind of response that brings the word we long to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Thanks to Supt. David Kendall for his commentary on Dr. Anderson's ideas.

There are times when hope seems impossible. But Psalms 130 and 131 remind us that God is the God of the impossible. The Lord is the author of hope. The Lord is hope. If hope is to be real in us and restored in us, we must come to the Lord and wait on Him, humbled, stilled, quieted and calm, content to receive God's answer in God's time.

This requires a prayerful, prayer-filled soul.

The person who prays raises the question of what the limits of hope might be. Prayer is his or her way of declaring that the boundaries of life and the limits of hope cannot be drawn with the chalk of time and space.

As we consider the Free Methodist Church around the world, I remind you that much of the limitation and the frustration and the lack of resource, may be due to the fact that we have not cried out in prayer from the depths.

The prayer from the depths is the prayer God loves to answer. The prayer from the depths rises from an absolutely dependent soul. All human resource is seen to be inadequate and there is the full recognition that unless God comes through, there is nothing that will be done. It is God or it is fruitlessness. It is God or it is an empty shell or human works.

This is a call to absolute dependence on the Spirit of God first, not second.

We all desire that the Free Methodist Church will be used mightily of God. Will it happen? It might, if from the depths, we pray as David teaches us.

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31