Psalm 89:9-18
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
when its waves rise, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
***
Reread that passage. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Did you reread the passage, or just go straight to this sentence? Reread it! Trust me.
If we let these words from the beautiful 89th chapter of the book of Psalms sink into us, something will change.
There have been many times in my life that, as a man, I have taken pride in doing something alone. "I don't need anyone else!" I proclaim, whether inwardly or out loud as I tackle a problem. I rely on my own power, my own knowledge, my own ideas or my own ability to problem-solve.
This verse flies in that face of that attitude. The idea here is to "walk in the light of the LORD's face." What does that mean? Walk in God's will and, by definition, his favor. The writer here makes it clear first why we should follow the LORD, and then what it looks like once one does follow Him.
He rules the sea, it's ebb and flow, the currents and shifting plates.
He can not just fight off but scatter His enemies.
He lays claim to both the heavens and the earth.
He creates the poles, curvature of the earth, the sense of directional awareness.
He is good; righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne.
These truths shout an overarching story above their baseline ideas: There is another way. A better way. You can have the LORD of all things in your corner. He can fight with you, fight for you. You don't have to be alone.
As a guy, this is a hard concept to grasp. We are brought up to believe that asking for help equals weakness or inability. It's something only a lesser man would do. Real men stand up, shut up and do whatever they need to do, independent of anyone and everyone.
This is not the picture of true manhood we see painted for us in Scripture. A true man is in touch with his need for salvation, for sanctification, and a continual reliance on Christ. To lean onto Him is to break free of the hollow, frail shell of manhood the world presents us with and to embrace our true nature: wholly and completely dependent on the person of Jesus Christ for all things. The world and heavens are His; what foolishness it is to run from Him and seek to persevere under our own power!
My old pastor said something profound one Sunday morning years ago: "Live in such a way that you cannot survive without daily dependence on God."
Our God is to be trusted and to be relied upon. We are made to rely on Him. The sooner we accept this truth and lean into Him, the better our lives will be. They may not be easier, they may not be more fun, but they will be better.
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