by Jim Truesdell, Associate Director
Several years ago, I attended my first service at Zion Spring Baptist Church—a predominantly African-American congregation meeting in a historic building in Birmingham connected to the civil rights movement. At the start of worship, the pastor recited Psalm 138. Like people who sing along to the words of their favorite song, the congregation spoke some of the phrases of the Psalm along with the pastor. When he read, “For though the Lord is high,” they would chime in, saying, “He regards the lowly…”
Off and on, I would worship with Zion Spring, and they were still using Psalm 138 in worship. After several visits, nothing changed—the same Psalm, every time. I remember thinking, Why do they do this every week? Shouldn’t they do something different, more fresh? Don’t they ever get tired of the same thing week in and week out?
Soon, my family and I began attending more regularly, and we started to appreciate the power of repetition. Like rain seeping through the ground into a limestone bed, then slowly dripping into some dark, hidden cave depositing calcium carbonate to form a stalagmite, the Psalm was working on my soul. This was hidden work, deep below the surface; slow work, one drop at a time. Occasionally, Jesus would shine light into the dark and hidden places, revealing the beauty and wonder of this Psalm forming His goodness in me.
When I think of frontier mission, I think of Psalm 67:
“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known on the earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you,
O God, let all the peoples praise you.Let the nations be glad and sing for joy
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God,
let all the peoples praise you!The earth has yielded its increase,
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!”
—Psalm 67 (ESV)
God’s heart of love for the peoples of the earth is revealed as the people of God are blessed! Will you join me and engage Psalm 67 daily during 2024? Who knows what slow, hidden and deliberate work God may do in our souls and in the souls of people around the world?
Comments are closed.