An Example
Scripture Reading: Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
Have you ever been fed up? Have you ever said something like, “I have had it up to here!” That is a silly question. I know you have. We all have. When we read this Psalm we find a kindred spirit in this matter. He had had more than enough. As we say, he had a belly full of it.
It is helpful to read about these people in the Bible who share the same experiences as we have and deal with the same kind of struggles. It is not good because it makes us feel better to have the old “misery loves company” thing to lean on. It is not good because it gives us a chance to feel superior and say with the Pharisee in Jesus’ story, “I’m not like that other man…”
To see these biblical characters who share in our struggles is good because we also get to see how they managed their own problems. We get to see what a Christian man or woman does when they get fed up.
I’m not necessarily opposed to “self-help” books, although I think the category name gives away the fatal flaw in them. We need more help than we can give ourselves. I also believe you will get more real and lasting help through a clear understanding of biblical truth and doctrine than you every will from the wisdom of men. Again, that is not to say that everything you read is wrong or bad, but don’t neglect the great for the good.
There is helped to be mined here and throughout the pages of Scripture. Avail yourself of it. It’s wisdom cries out to us. It says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” (Proverbs 9:5-6)
