GOD’S GUIDING VOICE –

The compilers of the Psalter continue to expand their theme of where pilgrims were to look for strength to keep them going. In Psalm 121 they emphasized that looking up to the city on the hill, whose building and maker is God, was like looking toward where the presence of God dwelled, and this would give them the motivation to keep moving toward their goal. It was important that their attitude in seeking God’s assistance and encouragement was heartfelt and real. This would help them resist any temptation they encountered along the way to become resentful or discouraged because of all they had been through, and wondering if it had been worth it.

“To the One who sits enthroned in the heavens, I turn my eyes toward You. In exactly the same way a servant keeps his eye on his master, and as a maid watches for a signal from her mistresses, that’s how we focus our eyes on You, O LORD Eternal, our One True God, until we feel Your touch of blessed assurance. So we ask You, O LORD Eternal, be patient with us because we’ve had our fill of being mocked. Yes, we’ve grown tired of being made fun of by people who seem to have everything go their way, especially with those arrogant sinners who have little or no respect for true believers.” Psalm 123:1-4

Reflection: Brian Hubbard was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of four. His mother spent many painstaking hours teaching him to speak. What they didn’t notice at the time was Brian’s slow loss of vision was due to a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, made worse by severe cataracts in both eyes, leaving him legally blind. Nevertheless, in spite of these maladies Brian became a licensed psychotherapist while also suffering from Ushers Syndrome. But he didn’t let anything stop him. He learned how to ski, and went on to win seven gold medals, three at the national level, and one bronze. He also won the downhill race at the U.S. Alpine Ski Championships in Duluth, Minnesota, and qualified for the national team that competed in the World Games in 1987 and the Special Olympics in 1988. He did all this wearing a hearing aid while paired with a sighted skier making the run just ahead of him, and shouting directions back to Brian on when to make a right and left turn. What a vivid picture of the Psalmist’s status. Just like Brian, he could not see his instructor, the LORD Eternal, and at times did not hear well either. But as he steered through life’s hills and valleys he learned to trust every command the LORD gave him. Though some people made fun of him and didn’t believe he’d make it, he put his total confidence in a God he could trust. What wonderful examples the Psalmist and Brian give us in learning to listen for God’s directions in order to navigate life’s downhill races. Though we might not see Him with our physical eyes or hear Him with our physical ears, we do see Him by faith and hear Him with our hearts. So ask yourself, are you willing to go left or right when He speaks? Or will you simply trust your own instincts in the dark, rather than His directions in the light?