The first casualties of upheaval can be love, kindness, and patience. But crisis is also a moment when love for God & one another can spring up. For 150 days, starting on 17th March 2020, I will write 300 words based on one of the 150 psalms in the bible. How can I find and give love in the midst of coronavirus?
I mutter inside my head. Driving along yesterday I realised that I have been having a five-minute conversation with myself – muttering about other people, things that I thought were wrong, stuff that needed to be sorted.
Do you mutter inside your head?
I stopped myself when I realised. I said sorry to God, and then took the same things I had been muttering about, and turned them into prayers. “God, I’ve simply been moaning about these things. Sorry. Can you help with them? What are you saying about these things?”
Psalm 65 is an antidote to muttering. To complaining. To thinking that my life just needs moaning about. It is a psalm of praise – and David praises God for 3 things. Let’s take a look:
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts
We praise God because He has forgiven us from all of our sins – and has brought us near to live with Him. It is hard to overstate quite how incredibly, fantastically, mind-blowingly amazing this is! This is the first thing.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Saviour,
Secondly, we praise because God has answered our prayers. We may be waiting for answers today – but we can look back to answers in the past. Or answers that other people have had. I have seen God answer prayers so often – and I need to be reminded of this when I get to muttering.
9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with corn, for so you have ordained it.
The final antidote to muttering is to look around us at the creation – and thank God for all that is good in it, and all that God provides for us. The creation is broken – but it still shows us God’s creativity & generosity.
So, the next time I start muttering, I pray that I remember this psalm and instead think that God:
- Forgives my sin & brings me close
- Answers prayer
- Blesses the creation with His generosity.
May you have a blessed and moan free day. Love Matt