To You, O LORD, I Lift Up My Soul

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”

― Psalm 25:1 (NRSV)

SIMPLEST designations are what God brings before humanity, and the simplest designation for one enduring hardship is one of drawing upward of God – to lift up our souls so we might experience what is so sorely required.

The majestic irony is we often don’t know what it is we need until God gives it to us. The faith journey is no easy prescription, but, given time and patience, it is a relatively easy fix – from hindsight’s aspect.

The Psalmist of Psalm 25 seeks guidance and ultimately delivery. And we all seek guidance to traverse arduous terrain whilst also hungering and thirsting over a time we will be delivered. It always tends to take too long, and that’s a problem for each of us.

In Sunshine, In Rain, In Peace, and In Pain

Wisdom dictates simple plans, and the simplest plan has the broadest and best effect – “I lift up my soul to you, O Lord.”

In sunshine it is praise we bring as we lift up our souls to God. This is the elucidation of experience. Does anything make more sense than the experience of praise?

In rain it is us simply attending to the time-worn path – to lift up our souls in hope for what God might give. Trust is what we give as we enter into the Presence of God, with a mind and a heart ready to be soothed.

In peace, it’s thanksgiving we give. We are not getting ahead of ourselves by being thankful. Suddenly all our vision is cast forth into what is known as blessing, and the need for hope – just now – runs dormant.

In pain we cannot bring anything but a sense of abiding wisdom, for somehow we know that we need to be here, before God, in order for that healing work to commence, in its own time.

In sunshine, in rain, in peace, and in pain, it’s the best plan to lift up our souls to the One who reigns in the heavens.

Whether by praise, or trust, or thanksgiving, or wisdom, our role is to simply draw upward into God’s continual Presence.

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For every occasion of human emotion there is a role for drawing close to God. By manner of routine, we go to God, we bathe in his Presence, as we bring what we will, to receive all he has destined that we need.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.