Louise Gevers
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Psalm 32:7, ESV
There are many comforting and uplifting psalms in the Old Testament that we go to in times of trouble, to read quietly, and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us, and lead us as we seek to know how to handle our challenge, and inspire us in the way forward. Some psalms speak directly into our situation, while others, that we stumble onto, we realise, reflect an exact experience we’ve had.
Recently, this struck me; a psalm that I’ve known well for many years, contained a direct reference to an experience I’d had, and is where our verse today comes from. I’d emerged from a car accident in which my little car had been spun around several times and then turned over on its side, with me still strapped in it. Finally, as I got out, unscathed, and started to walk, I was surrounded with joyful “shouts of deliverance” and knew that God had indeed been “my hiding place” and had “preserve[d] me from trouble.”
I believe that those joyful shouts erupted from people who rejoiced in God, and celebrated His might in rescuing a person from the horrendous scene they’d witnessed; people, who, as they walked to work, knew the living out of this psalm, and walked off gratified for having witnessed God’s deliverance.
If we read Psalm 32 prayerfully and mindfully, it’s possible to see that there’s actually an insightful recipe for happiness in it: “Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Happy is the one whom the LORD does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2, GNT)
Happiness is not something we’re born into, it’s something we cultivate in our response to life and personal experience, and is often the fruit of making good choices, regardless of circumstance.
The psalmist describes a time when he was “worn out from crying all day long” his strength “completely drained” when he felt that God was punishing him “day and night.” (Psalm 32:3-4, GNT) Regardless of what we believe, wrongdoing can never leave us feeling light-hearted, whether it’s our own sin or that belonging to others. How does the daily news make you feel? Whether it’s considerable or little, sin will affect us, steal our happiness – and that of others – and destroy our life if left, unabated.
The psalmist reveals his solution: “Then I confessed my sins to you; I did not conceal my wrongdoings … and you forgave all my sins.” (Psalm 32:5, GNT)
Acknowledging and confessing sin frees anyone’s spirit, not just the psalmist’s, and, whatever the circumstances, experiencing and accepting forgiveness will feel like the world is fresh and new.
In his ‘new state’ he realises that God’s “loyal people should pray to [him] in times of need …when trouble comes rushing in” (Psalm 32:6, GNT) and listen to his instruction without being stubborn “like a horse or a mule,” then “trust in the LORD …protected by his constant love …” and “be glad and rejoice because of what the LORD has done.” (Psalm 32:9-11, GNT)
Prayer: Father God, true happiness is found in You. Thank you that Your forgiveness sets me free and gives me every reason to rejoice. Amen
Louise Gevers
U bied vir my beskutting; U vrywaar my van nood; met jubelkrete van bevryding omring U my. Psalm 32:7, 2020-vertaling
In die Ou Testament is daar baie psalms wat vertroos en bemoedig en waarna ons ons in moeilike tye wend, hulle in stilte lees en dan die Heilige Gees vra om ons te lei oor hoe om ons uitdagings te hanteer en ons vir die pad vorentoe te inspireer. Sommige psalms het direk op ons situasie betrekking, terwyl daar ander is waarop 'n mens afkom en dan besef dit weerspieël 'n presiese ondervinding wat jy gehad het.
Onlangs het dit my getref hoe 'n psalm wat ek reeds vir baie jare goed ken, 'n direkte betrekking gehad het op 'n ervaring wat ek beleef het, en dit is waar ons teksvers vir vandag vandaan kom. Ek was in 'n motorongeluk waar my karretjie verskeie kere in die rondte getol en toe op sy sy geval het, met my steeds binne-in vasgegordel. Toe ek uiteindelik ongedeerd uitklim en begin loop, was ek omring met "jubelkrete" en ek het geweet dat die Here inderdaad my "beskutting" is en dat Hy my "vrywaar van nood".
Ek glo dat die jubelkrete van die mense op die toneel uit blydskap was omdat die Here deur sy mag iemand gered het uit die verskriklike toneel wat voor hulle afgespeel het. Mense, wat op pad werk toe, iets van hierdie psalm kon beleef en met dankbare harte kon wegstap omdat hulle God se verlossing in aksie aanskou het.
Lees ons Psalm 32 in gebed en met ontvanklike harte, is dit moontlik om te ontdek dat dit eintlik 'n insiggewende resep vir geluk bevat: "Gelukkig is die een wie se oortreding vergewe, wie se sonde bedek is. Gelukkig is die mens vir wie die Here sondeskuld nie toereken nie, en in wie se gees geen bedrog is nie." (Psalm 32:1-2)
Geluk is nie iets waarmee ons gebore word nie, dit is iets wat ons deur ons reaksie op die lewe en persoonlike ervarings kweek. Dit is dikwels die gevolg van die regte keuses wat ons, ondanks omstandighede, maak.
Die psalmis beskryf 'n tyd wat hy "die hele dag gekla en gesug het" en hy "maer" geword het want hy het gevoel dat die Here hom "elke dag en nag" straf. (Psalm 32:3-4, Bybel vir almal) Ondanks van wat ons glo, oortredings kan ons nooit gelukkig maak nie, of dit nou ons eie sonde of die van ander is. Hoe laat die daaglikse nuus jou voel? Of dit nou min of baie is, sonde affekteer ons, dit steel ons geluk – en die van ander – en kan ons lewe vernietig as dit onverpoosd voortgaan.
Die psalmis gee die oplossing: My sonde het ek teenoor U erken; my sondeskuld het ek nie bedek nie ... en U het my sondeskuld vergewe. (Psalm 32:5)
Deur sonde te erken en te bely maak ons gees vry, nie net die van die psalmis nie, en wat ook al die omstandighede, om vergifnis te ervaar en te aanvaar laat die wêreld vars en nuut voel.
In sy "nuwe gemoedstoestand" besef die psalmis dat God se getroue volgelinge "tot [Hom] moet bid terwyl die geleentheid daar is" (Psalm 32:6), na sy insigte moet luister en hulle nie "soos 'n perd, soos 'n muil sonder verstand, gedra nie" en "op die Here [moet] vertrou –troue liefde omring [hulle]" en hulle moet hulle "in die Here verbly".(Psalm 32:9-11)
Gebed: Hemelse Vader, ware geluk is net in U. Dankie dat u vergifnis my vrymaak en my alle rede gee om gelukkig te wees. Amen
Louise Gevers
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:9, ESV
Many years ago, as a young woman on an overseas tour, I found myself in a crowd, in Innsbruck, gazing wide-eyed at the Golden Roof built by Maximilian to display his imperial status and wealth. Away from home for the first time and taken by the sight, I couldn’t wait to go to the local post office to make a trunk call (remember those?) to share this with my mother. To say that it was by no means a perfect form of communication is an understatement, but we connected, and I chatted happily with her for a few minutes and touched base. Had it been today, I would’ve immediately sent a photo via cell phone, with a few lines to explain.
Connection to the people we care about doesn’t disappear when we’re far away; keeping in touch becomes even more important in helping us to stay close and bonded.
Today, there are many ways to communicate in a world where there are countless devices to keep people connected to almost everything in life, church services included, and yet, curiously, although they’re available, they cannot guarantee the desired success when people are unresponsive or when the quality is poor.
We’ve all experienced the anxiety attached to sending a message, or calling, and not receiving a response, then or later – we’ve been guilty of doing this ourselves – or the frustration of our message not being read or understood properly, creating a disconnect. This destroys the core of communication.
True connection is a deep, reliable bond built on mutual understanding, respect, and responsiveness, allowing for vulnerability and shared experiences, which allows each person to know that they matter.
The most significant connection we can experience each day is to communicate with God – and we need no device; a believing heart reaching out to Him humbly and sincerely is all we need. Jesus shows that “the Father himself loves [us]” (John 16:27) and hears us, because He gives us the blueprint for praying to Him, along with insights into what God values most in us as we pray to Him: "When you pray, “do not be like the hypocrites … go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen ... do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words … for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8, NIV)
This in place, Jesus gives a simple prayer to reach “Our Father in heaven” in which we can speak to Him as easily as we would our earthly father, knowing that His heart is for us. We can acknowledge our needs, recognising that only He can forgive our sins, give us strength against temptation and “deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)
Being connected to God is life changing. Have we experienced this vital connection?
Prayer:Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully; teach me to serve you with complete devotion.” (Psalm 86:11, GNT) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, ESV) Amen
Louise Gevers
“Ons Vader wat in die hemel is, laat u Naam geheilig word ... Matteus 6:9, 1983-vertaling
Baie jare gelede het ek as 'n jong vrou tydens 'n oorsese toer myself in 'n skare in Innsbruck bevind wat almal in verwondering gestaar het na die Goue Dak (Goldenes Dachl) wat Maximiliaan gebou het om sy keiserlike status en rykdom te vertoon. Vir die eerste keer weg van die huis, en oorweldig deur dit wat ek gesien het, kon ek nie gou genoeg by die plaaslike poskantoor uitkom om 'n hooflynoproep (onthou julle dit nog?) te maak om alles met my ma te deel nie. Dit was geensins 'n perfekte kommunikasievorm nie, maar ons is gekonnekteer en ek kon vir 'n paar minute met haar gesels. Was dit vandag, sou ek onmiddellik via my selfoon 'n foto met 'n kort beskrywing gestuur het.
Die band met die mense vir wie ons omgee verdwyn nie wanneer ons ver weg is nie, inteendeel, om kontak te behou is selfs meer belangrik om ons te help om aan mekaar verbind te bly.
Vandag is daar in 'n wêreld waar daar 'n menigte toestelle is baie maniere om te kommunikeer en om mense met feitlik alles in die lewe te verbind, eredienste ingesluit. Interessant genoeg, kan hulle, alhoewel beskikbaar, nie noodwendig die verlangde sukses waarborg nie – soms reageer mense nie of soms is die verbinding swak.
Ons het al almal die angs beleef wanneer ons 'n boodskap stuur of iemand skakel en nie reaksie kry nie, net om later – ek is self skuldig – uit frustrasie omdat ons boodskap nie gelees of reg verstaan word nie, die verbinding te verbreek. Dit verbreek die kern van kommunikasie.
'n Ware verbintenis is 'n diep, betroubare band wat op wedersydse begrip, respek en reaksie berus, wat kwesbaarheid en gedeelde ondervindings moontlik maak, en wat elke persoon toelaat om te weet dat hulle saak maak.
Die belangrikste verbintenis wat ons elke dag kan ervaar, is om met God te kommunikeer, en ons benodig geen toestel daarvoor nie. 'n Gelowige hart wat nederig en opreg na Hom uitreik, is al wat ons benodig. Jesus leer dat "die Vader self het [ons] lief" (Johannes 16:27) en Hy hoor ons want Hy gee aan ons die riglyne hoe om tot Hom te bid, tesame met insigte oor wat God die meeste na waarde skat wanneer ons tot Hom bid: “Verder, as julle bid, moet julle nie soos die skynheiliges wees nie. ... gaan na jou kamer toe, maak die deur toe en bid tot jou Vader wat jy nie kan sien nie. ... “Wanneer julle bid, moet julle nie soos die heidene 'n stortvloed van woorde gebruik nie. Hulle verbeel hulle hulle gebede sal verhoor word omdat hulle baie woorde gebruik ... julle Vader weet wat julle nodig het, nog voordat julle dit van Hom vra." (Matteus 6:5-8)
Jesus gee aan ons 'n eenvoudige gebed om na "Ons Vader wat in die hemel is" uit te reik en waardeur ons so maklik met Hom kan praat as met ons aardse vader, met die wete dat Hy vir ons omgee. Ons kan ons behoeftes aan Hom bekend maak en die wete dat slegs Hy ons sonde kan vergewe, gee aan ons krag teen versoeking en "verlos ons van die Bose." (Matteus 6:13)
Om verbonde te wees aan God is lewensveranderend. Het jy al hierdie noodsaaklike verbintenis ervaar?
Gebed: "Leer my u pad, Here, ek wil wandel in u waarheid; leer my U met toewyding dien." (Psalm 86:11) "Skep vir my 'n rein hart, o God, vernuwe my gees en maak my standvastig." (Psalm 51:12) Amen