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Scripture for the day: Psalm 25:1-2, 20 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed …. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
Thought for the day: The hero, played by Nicholas Cage, suddenly finds himself swinging to and fro on the floor of a wooden platform suspended above what looks to be a bottomless abyss. Dangling from his right hand is the heroine of the story, a beautiful woman who has, though she’s tried to resist, become our hero’s love interest. Off to his right there is a metal tube containing an original copy of the Declaration of Independence, a priceless artifact containing clues to the greatest treasure ever hidden anywhere. The dilemma is, of course, if he can only save one or the other of these priceless items, which does he choose?
Our hero fights with the demons raging inside him until, in desperation, he looks the woman straight in the eyes and asks, “Do you trust me?” Sensing what may well be the most dangerous moment of her life, she looks around, hoping beyond hope that she might see an alternative to what she knows is coming. Seeing no other way, she looks back at the hero of our story and nods, “Yes.”
The next time the pendulum swings forward, he lets go of her hand, depositing her unceremoniously on a platform some ten feet below, with no certainty the whole structure won’t detach from the wall and plunge into oblivion. Quickly he grabs the Declaration and, on the next swing of the pendulum, jumps to her side, saving both the Declaration and the director of the National Archives. What a scene! Such an ending could only happen in the movies; in this case in “National Treasure.”
David begins this 25th Psalm by reminding those who would hear it or read it that every prayer, every petition, every encounter with the living God must begin with a positive affirmation of trust in the One who has brought us to whatever point we find ourselves. David had a lot of things he needed to bring to the Lord, which makes him about average, I’d say. Each of us has an entire litany of needs, desires, difficulties and challenges we bring before the throne on a regular basis and this Psalm tells me we need to always begin with trust. If we can’t trust that our God is not only able but willing to undertake on our behalf, we may as well keep our petitions to ourselves.
Not only does our prayer need to begin with trust, it must end the same way. David absolutely filled his Psalm with his desires concerning what he wanted the Lord to do on his behalf. He held nothing back; his requests were both personal and corporate. He prayed for his personal needs and for his nation as well. When all was said and done, David brought himself back to the issue of trust, perhaps as a reminder, perhaps as a challenge.
As we go to prayer, whenever we go to prayer, we would be wise to use this same formula. Do I truly trust God for the things I’ve put on my list? Could I answer in the affirmative if Jesus were standing in front of me, asking, “Do you trust me?” Do I trust Him, even as He lets go of my hand, allowing me to drop to a place I cannot see? When all is on the line, do I really trust that He will do what’s best for me? What if that best for me is not at all what I have always envisioned? What if it brings uncertainty? What if the waves don’t hold me up?
I don’t know the subject of all your prayers today, but I believe each petition we have must be preceded and followed by an affirmation of trust; real trust, not just words.
Now go take on your world. - Bill