Oh, Jesus, You Alone Know our Troubles
Sunday Psalm 6.16.24
Father God Lord Jesus Holy Spirit We present ourselves before You again this Sunday. We come to be together and with You. We come to declare your glory. We come to examine ourselves. Our hearts are deceitful and wicked. We recoil from that description from Jeremiah But when we’re honest, we know we carry Pride and greed and entitlement Not just humility, generosity and kindness. We may think we deserve more happiness Because of all the pain we’ve endured. In fact, we might even hold that against You. We’ve been hurt in so many ways. Holding a grudge feels protective. We not only resist confessing our own sin, We resist mourning the losses that accrue From the hurts from others’ sins. Oh, Jesus, You alone know our troubles. Please give us the courage to Examine our hearts. Give us compassion and self-compassion So that we can both sit with our pain and Confess our own sins. Many of us bear nasty memories. Refresh us, Lord. We will never give up honesty with You. There’s always more to examine. And the best is yet to be, the eternal Community of pure hearts devoted to You. Amen. Unsplash Photos
Hi Karen,
I LOVE your thoughts on honest self-examination. Of all religions, Christianity should be the most honest, but I think we have been infected by the worldly religion of "power of positive thinking," and therefore refuse the look truthfully.
As you say, we recoil from Jeremiah's description that "Our hearts are deceitful and wicked." Why do we shy away? We know the entry into Christianity is humility, why is it so hard to stay humble?
I also continue to love your perspective on our suffering. Yes! We have been hurt, wounded, betrayed, and we are suffering. You are so good at admitting it, explaining it, and mourning it. But you also remember that our reaction (bitterness, judgement, grudges, etc.) may be the thing that holds us back the most. Your balance is beautiful and true to God's word.
And you always end in hope: The best is yet to be!!
Thanks