Mind Meld of A Different Kind

PSALM 34 (condensed)

A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.

I will praise the LORD at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the LORD;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
For the angel of the LORD is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Fear the LORD, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.
For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!

Weird Al
You may have never heard of Weird Al Yankovic but he is very popular in parody circles. Weird Al takes normal songs and turns them into ridiculous rants and nonsensical musings on everything from politics to food. Some of his stuff is funny, other things are gross, most are, well, weird.

You may hear a tune you are very familiar with and think you know the lyrics and then suddenly Weird Al’s voice comes on and the words are all different from what you expected. Now my analogy may be a stretch today, but I think God sometimes does the same thing as Weird Al. At times, God does not give us what we expect; He gives us something totally different that might even be funny, or slightly gross.

David is captured, bound in chains and in front of an enemy king who would really like to kill him. He prays to God and instead of sending in the cavalry, God gives David an idea. Quite literally, a crazy idea: pretend you are insane. David does, the king dismisses David as a madman and David’s prayer for safety is answered.

Sometimes we miss God’s blessings or deliverance because God’s answer to our prayer is so far out there we believe it could not possibly be of God. Our rationality dismisses anything illogical before we even ask God if it might just be the answer to our prayer. Sometimes tasting and seeing how good God is means we taste unusual foods.

God of improbability and surprises, when I look at Scripture I see you used the most improbable people to do the greatest acts of service in your Kingdom and at times through unusual methods. Help me to be open to embarrassing and even crazy ideas you place in front of me. Give me discernment to know when these thoughts are from you and when they are not. – Dan Jones

An alcoholics blessing
God forbid that I would have to become hopelessly addicted to alcohol before I come face to face with my own utter helplessness. And God forbid that I would have to face certain death, as David did, before that same reality sunk deep into my soul. However, I suspect that those in these situations have a truer understanding of helplessness than the rest of us. Perhaps this is one reason our relationship with God tends toward the shallow.

The first reality Alcoholics Anonymous insists addicts must embrace confesses, “We are powerless over alcohol.” Strange how victory over life’s most profound challenges begins not with a Walt Disneyesque “I can” but with a brutal “I can’t.”

I don’t know this for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me that a mighty warrior like King David had to find himself powerless before a foreign king in order to deeply understand the kind of attitude that must precede every victory. I know self-sufficient people like me, usually don’t get to this place except being drug into hopeless situations.

“I can’t, but God can” must be the song always running my head. I am hopelessly addicted to sin. But God can deliver me. I am hopelessly ego centered. But God can turn my heart fully towards him. I am hopelessly unforgiving and attracted to grudge holding. But God can… God can, I can’t.

In a world of positive thinking and self esteem mantras, I need a new grip on my helplessness and God’s greatness. The things I can do on my own are life’s peripheral accomplishments. The central issues I face, the life-shaping stuff of my soul, I am helpless to understand, engage, and mold. I must be infused with the presence and work of a Power beyond myself.

Thank you, Father, for bringing addicts into my life to remind me of my own powerlessness. I will tell of your greatness and exalt you with increasing conviction the more I discover about my own inabilities and your abilities. May the theme of my life be, “I can’t but you can!” - Mike Leamon