“When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant—I acted like a wild animal before you.” Ps. 73:21-22
Gracious Father, thank you for including this record of “temporary insanity” in your Word. Such is the reach and riches of the Scriptures. There are times when I forget I’m living in a fallen world, with a fragile heart, among people who need your grace just as much as I do.
When my buttons get pushed and my traumas get triggered—when my stress is high and my “tank” is low, I’m capable of acting out in unkind, unthinking, unremarkable ways. I lose perspective and love poorly—like Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, I am apt to feel, think, say things I later regret.
How do you relate to us in the middle of our “moments”? You’re never shocked, but you always care. When we say hurtful words—you convict us, but you’ll never condemn us. When we react poorly, you respond redemptively. When we “lose it”—you find us, recenter us, and gentle us. Your kindness leads us to repentance, and repentance is always a fresh collapsing on Jesus—who is our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1Cor.1:30). The Gospel really is this big and this good.
Such mercy melts my icy heart. Such love corrals my racing thoughts. Such grace humbles my proud, rigid soul. Hallelujah, and thank you. On this October Wednesday, free me (us) to love as Jesus loves us. May we speak 100 encouraging words for every unkind word. So Very Amen.