LEARNING TO PRAY A REFRESHING PRAYER—Day 2 (Tuesday)

Jul 12, 2022
2 min read

Psalm 39:6-13

Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them. “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of the foolish. I was mute, I did not open my mouth, because it was You who did it. Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand. When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth; surely every man is vapor. Selah

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears; for I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, before I go away and am no more.”

I’m always waiting for something. Perhaps it’s the next change in my life, or what’s around the corner. I think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, so shouldn’t I jump over it to find out?

I wish to be delivered from my transgressions, but do I recognize them all? Anytime I jump ahead of God’s will, I sin. I might be heading in the direction He wants, but it may not be in His timing. How do I know if the timing is within His will?

If I do something against God’s will, I know He will show me. And when He rebukes me, I am consumed by it. I review the path of my actions and discover the point at which I left His path and started following my own.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: God is my Divine Doctor; I go to Him when I have a splinter. It hurts to have it in my flesh, and I know it will hurt when He pulls it out. Ultimately, I know it must be removed in order to for me to heal and regain strength.

Yet, I dwell on the plague or the wound in my flesh. The pain grows as He applies discipline with His hand. I’m consumed not only with the pain, but with the very fact that I disappointed Him with my actions in the first place. I’m also ashamed of my actions, so I ask Him to remove His gaze.

I used to be a stranger and a sojourner to Him, but now I know I’m His child. How do I know? Because He is the One pulling out my splinter, relieving my pain, and correcting my path. Once He rebukes me and corrects my path, I need time for the wound to heal.

Lord, the only reason why I’m not feeling Your gaze is that I’m crying on Your shoulder. Please hold and comfort me while I’m crying. You are not silent during my tears; You continue to comfort me until I get up again to gaze at You. Amen.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman