I am not a Bible scholar.

I am sure that is apparent.

I am also not an English teacher.

I am prone to grammatical inaccuracies.

I am not fluent in Greek or Hebrew.

English is my tried and true language.

I am sure that I often unintentionally take passages out of context.

I may even read too much between the lines.

What I do know is I am a girl who tries to read her Bible while paying attention.

This is what I noticed today while reading Psalm 89.

It’s quite a lengthy psalm.

When I looked in my Bible helper, Psalm 89 was summarized in one

sentence:

A request for God to show his love again.

The psalm is made up of  verses reminding God what He has done in the past.

Verses pleading the refrain of  why and how long.

Have you forgotten us, God?

Today you may feel forgotten or abandoned.

You may feel neck-deep in pain and sorrow.

Today bears the reminder of endless moments without

answers or movement.

You may feel that somehow God’s love has evaded your grasp or defied

comprehension.

Read the last few verses of Psalm 89, written by Ethan, whose wisdom was

compared with Solomon’s.

With the exception of the bold print I added,

this is how these verses appear in print:

So where is the love you’re so famous for, Lord?
What happened to your promise to David?
Take a good look at your servant, dear Lord;
I’m the butt of the jokes of all nations,
The taunting jokes of your enemies, God,
as they dog the steps of your dear anointed.

Psalm 89: 49-52 (MSG)

As is so common in the Psalms, there is a shift from beginning to end.

What begins with mounting despair and a litany of questions,

ends in abandoning oneself before an altar of praise.

I love the physical space between Ethan’s final complaint and his

ultimate compulsion to praise.

It’s at least a double space if not more.

Space.

What happened in that space?

Do you reside within the expanse of questions and praise?

Remember God inhabits that space.

He cozies up beside you in your days of joy.

He is just as  deeply attached to you in your suffering.

The space is designed to bring us to Him when questions remain,

especially then.

He is definitely a very present help in the midst of present trouble.

The space reveals that although questions may remain,

His love has remained intact.

His outstretched arms of affection and goodness  bridge the gap of pain

to praise.

Will you allow God’s love to permeate your broken spaces today?

Blessed be God forever and always!
Yes. Oh, yes.

Thanks for reading!