Just For You
Psalm 20
Much of the time when we are discouraged well meaning people try to encourage us with uplifting Psalms. A year ago we had a series of messages at church that could be called the psalms of discouragement, AND that was maybe a third of the chapters in the book of Psalms that one way or another reflected that sentiment. So not every psalm is necessarily an uplifting psalm. Yes, those will be a challenge for me in the future asking if Jesus would pray those psalms as a prayer. Though I'm not a counselor or therapist in the Scriptures we are exhorted to give a word of encouragement. In the lives of a few friends recently their discouragement was so great a word of encouragement like "God knows" or "He is with you" fall far short. Their issue is with God and if He hears and is with me and if He really cares then why doesn't He do something? Going through GriefShare after the death of my wife I met extremely distraught people who had great uncertainty in their immediate future and great hate and bitterness toward God. Words like "We know that all things work together for good", "God is with you", and similar actually bring more harm and alienation and zero comfort. When my father passed away (in a fire) I was back home. My nephew came in the room and something was said of death and I said something like "I can understand", but immediately retracted my words saying "I can't understand". He replied, “No, you can't.” A month before my father died his 10 year old son had died waitng for a kidney transplant. Thinking about all this now if I was a counselor or therapist and gave Solomon's advice I would probably loose my certification.
Give the strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto them that have grief of heart. Let him drink, that he may forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
Proverbs 31:6 - 7 GNV
They could be more likely be encouraged with Jesus praying Psalm 20 particularly for them.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble: the name of the God of Jacob defend thee: Send thee help from the Sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion. Let him remember all thine offerings, and turn thy burnt offerings into ashes. Selah:
Psalms 20:1 - 3 GNV
Imagine, Jesus as a human on this earth praying for you like that. David was praying this for his people and Jesus would more so. As much as God speaks in His Word of the poor, the orphan, the widow, even "Blessed are the poor in spirit" certainly Jesus would have this prayer in His heart, on His lips for those who have great need of the Father to hear them in the day of trouble. This trouble isn't referring to a child being sent to the principle’s office for fighting or the one who gets stopped by the police for speeding. This trouble is much more than being in "trouble" for your own faults. This is trouble only God can see your way through.
We might wonder, "Wait a minute! Why would Jesus have to pray a prayer for someone else. Couldn't he just handle it Himself?" Remember that I am exploring how Jesus could live as a human without sin all the time on this earth. In the garden when arrested Jesus told Peter 'Don't you know that I could call a legion of angels to deliver me?" And speaking of Peter it was just an hour or two before Jesus told Peter, "Satan wants to sift you like grain, but I have prayed for you." It may only be a short step to believe Jesus could have prayed this psalm as a prayer for Peter. Just think that now in heaven with His Father He prays this prayer just for you.