In reading Psalms 80-83, I recognize that I have a
relationship with God, my Heavenly Father. He gave me children to raise so I
could see how he feels about me. He loves me very much. I knew this before I
had kids, but it’s much more meaningful now.
In Psalm 81, I hear the cry of a parent who wants only the
best for his kids. Psalm 81:8 sounds like any loving parent, “Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only
listen to me, Israel!”
How many of us have said that? Then, God’s heart breaks in verse 12 like any
parent who knows about tough love. “So I gave
them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” I know how a
parent wants to bring goodness and beauty into a child’s life, but we parents
have to wait until the kids can receive the good things we want to give.
So many of the psalms have been a cry for help. Do you think
God gets tired of us pleading with him to take vengeance on our enemies?
I think he is glad we’re still coming to him. He wants us to
run to him whenever we need him. He hopes we want to run to him when we don’t
need him. I understand that from the perspective of a parent. Psalm 83 is
another “Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind” (from
verse 13) type of psalm. I don’t think God ever rolled his eyes and sighed at these
words.
I know from my experience of parenting that the kids’ trials
and torments affect the parents as well. God keeps trying to bring his people
back to him. And we parents keep trying to train our children to become the
people they were meant to be.
Next time, join me in Psalms 84-89.
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