Psalm 32, 51, 86, 122

The rain beating against the windows while I am safely snuggled up with a sweet doggy in my lap casts a peaceful light on my spirit.  The rain beating against my face while I wrestle with an umbrella and an overloaded shopping cart in the parking lot is another story!

Today I got to experience both scenarios, and as I write this I notice something curious.  One event — wind and rain — leads to a completely different perspective depending on my location with respect to it.  When I was protected from its lashing downpour, I found enjoyable aspects of the rain: the sound was soothing, the low light outside made my home feel cozy, the weather was perfect for curling up with a great book.  But when I stepped out into the pouring rain, I faced the more unpleasant consequences of drenched clothing and hair, runaway shopping carts, and soaking wet groceries.

It makes me wonder: how does God want me to interact with Him, if He was the rain?  Does he want me to stand aside in what feels like a safe place, holding him at a safe distance?  Or does he want me to meet him in the wet, unpleasant stuff as well as the cozy places?

David, as I read yesterday, fell into a trap of sin that just kept getting deeper and deeper.  But when he was confronted by his sin, he did not turn his back on God or make excuses for his behavior.  He repented.  He accepted the Lord’s consequences and acknowledged the Lord’s sovereignity over all.  He walked out into the rain with the Lord, taking the bad and being grateful for the good.

His attitude is a great model for us in those times that we have messed up royally and need to repent.  These verses especially appealed to me:

¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name (Psalm 86)

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51)

In these Psalms, David shows us how to face the rain of our sins head-on — with humble hearts and a mind open to the Lord.