Who God Is

The print version of the message given in the Sunday night service in the Gettysburg United Methodist church on August 8, 2021.  The Bible verses used are Psalm 5.

            What’s your mindset when you pray?  What are you thinking?  How are you feeling?

            The answer will be different in different situations, of course.  Sometimes we pray confidently, with no doubt that God will hear our prayers.  Sometimes, we pray hesitantly, wondering if what we’re asking for is really something God will hear and will grant.  Sometimes, we pray fearfully, going to God not because we necessarily think God will answer our prayers, but simply because we have nowhere else to go.  And of course, we can pray with all sorts of other thoughts and feelings as well.

            However we pray is okay.  God understands our thoughts and feelings.  God is happy when we pray at all, so God’s not going to be upset with our mindset when we do it.  But God does not want us to pray fearfully or hesitantly.  Not because God will get mad at us for doing it, but because God does not want us to put ourselves through feelings like that.  Whatever we’re going through, whatever’s going on in our lives or on our minds or in our hearts, God wants us to come to Him with it.  God is eager for us to come to Him.  God wants us to come to Him confidently.  Not confident that God will give us everything we want, necessarily, but confident that God loves us.  Confident that God has our best interests at heart.  Confident that God will take care of us and give us what we need because of God’s love for us.

I think Psalm 8 gives us a good example of what our mindset should be when we pray.  First, the author of the psalm comes to God humbly.  He does not demand that God do anything.  He does not believe God owes Him anything.  Instead, he asks God, “Consider my lament.  Hear my cry for help.”

Have you ever prayed that way?  “God, I’m not trying to tell you what to do or anything.  But just--consider what I’m asking you.  Hear what it is I’m saying to you.”  That seems like a really good attitude for us to have when we pray.

And notice, things are going real well for the author of the psalm when he says this.  “Consider my lament.”  A lament is an expression of grief or sorrow.  We’re not told what’s wrong, but clearly something is.  “Hear my cry for help.”  Not just a request for help, a cry for help.  The author of this psalm is clearly in some kind of trouble.  Whatever’s gone wrong, it’s bad.

And notice, too, the author of the psalm is totally honest with God.  He does not try to put a happy face on anything.  He does not try to pretend that things are not what they are.  He does not try to tell God that he’s just fine when he knows he’s not.  The author of the psalm is in trouble, he has no idea how to get out of it, and he’s going to let God know exactly what’s going on in his life.

But even with all that, the author of the psalm is confident.  He knows God will not let him down.  “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

He has no doubt that God is going to hear his prayer.  And I love that line “I wait expectantly.”  Not only does the author of the psalm have no doubt that God will hear his prayer, he has no doubt that God will respond.  God will answer his prayer in some way.

“I wait expectantly” is such a great phrase.  It shows such a great attitude, an attitude we all need to have.  Again, it’s an attitude of humility.  It does not say “God is going to do whatever I ask.”  It does not say, “God is going to take care of things right now.”  It’s an attitude that says, “I’ve told God the situation, and I know God is going to do something.  So, I’ll wait and see what God is going to do.  I don’t know what God’s going to do.  I don’t know when God’s going to do it.  But I know God is going to do something, so I will wait to see what it is.  And whatever it is that God does, I know it’s going to be the right thing.  Not because God owes anything to me, but because that’s just who God is.”

The author then goes through all the things God does not like.  Wickedness.  Evil.  Arrogance.  Liars.  The bloodthirsty and deceitful.  But then he says, God, that’s not me.  And you know that.

Now, maybe you think that does not show humility.  But notice--the author of the psalm does not go on to say he’s perfect.  He does not go on to say how great he is.  He does not go on to say that he knows God will do what he wants because God owes it to him.

What does he say?  “I, by your great love, can come into your house.  In reverence, I bow down toward your holy temple.”

The author of the psalm knows God does not owe him anything.  God does not even owe it to him to allow him into God’s presence.  In fact, the author of the psalm knows he does not belong in God’s presence.  It is only by the great love God has for him--and for everyone--that he can enter.

And so, he enters reverently.  He has a deep and solemn respect for God.  He knows that this is the great, almighty God that he’s going toward.  He knows this is a God so much greater and so much better than he is that he cannot even begin to understand how great and good God really is.  The author of this psalm is in awe of the fact that God loves him enough to allow him to come into God’s presence, because that’s just who God is.

He then asks God to take care of his enemies.  But I find it interesting that he does not ask God to help him take care of his enemies.  He leaves it up to God.  He asks God to “let their intrigues be their downfall” and to “banish them for their many sins.”  The author of the psalm does not intend to take any action against his enemies himself.  He’s going to leave that to God.

And again, the reason he can do that is because he is confident in God.  He says, “let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

            The author of the psalm does not fear his enemies.  He is confident that God will protect him.  Again, not because God owes it to him.  But because that’s just who God is.  That’s how much love God has.  When we trust God, when we love God, when we approach God humbly and reverently, when we show respect for God, but when we also are confident enough in God’s goodness and greatness to be certain that God will always have our best interests in mind and will always do right by us, we can know that God will always be there to take care of us and protect us.

            Again, whatever mindset we have when we pray is okay.  God just wants to hear from us.  But I encourage you, the next time you pray, to try to follow the example we’re given in Psalm Five.

            Be totally honest with God.  Whatever’s going on in your life, be honest with God.  If you’re happy, if you’re sad, if you’re feeling joyful, if you’re upset or even angry, whatever it is your feel, be honest with God.  Don’t try to pretend things are not what they are.  Trust God enough to tell God exactly what’s going on in your life.

            But do it humbly.  Come to God thinking about who God is.  Recognize that God is the almighty, all-powerful God.  Recognize that you and I cannot even begin to understand God’s greatness and God’s goodness.  Recognize that you and I have no right to come to God at all.  But go to God anyway, confident that God loves you enough that God not only allows you into God’s presence, but God invites you into God’s presence.

            And after you’ve prayed, wait.  Wait with confidence, knowing that God has heard your prayer and that God will respond.  You may not know how.  You may not know when.  But God will respond.  And whatever God does in response will be the right thing to do.

            And do not fear any enemies you may have.  Trust God to take care of them.  Know that God always has our best interests in mind and will always do what is right.  Not because God owes it to us to do that.  But just because that’s who God is.

            Lay your requests before God, and wait exepctantly.  God will answer, and God will do what’s right.  It’s just who God is.