Tuesday 15 May 2012

Whosoever Shall Not Be Offended in Me

In the Lord put I my trust: how say you to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men. (Psalm 11: 1,4)
As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is your God?
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disturbed within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember you from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of your waterfalls: all your waves and your billows are gone over me.
Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto God my rock, Why have you forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones, my enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is your God?
Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disturbed within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (Psalm 42)
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Are you he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:2-6)

Unto you will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if you be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. (Psalm 28:1)
O God, before you, I have hid nothing. You see my whole heart. I have bowed to you, and followed you with all my strength. I have chosen love, not hatred. I have humbled myself in front of you and before others. Is this what you want from me? If not, show me! I will do what you ask.

Why do you speak in whispers? Why do you allow me to be hurt and shamed continually? I seem like a child and a fool, and yet you don't step in to rescue me or defend my name. My hurt goes on and on, and I have no clear direction from you; no "this is the way, walk ye in it"... I have done everything I can think of, yet I seem to be drifting farther and farther from light and warmth. For what do I wait? Why do you feel so far away? 

Yet I will wait for you. There is none beside you. Creator of heaven and earth, my Friend and my Defender - you humble and exalt. I will be still until you tell me what to do. I will tell out of this place who you are.

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