Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water

David—shepherd boy, youngest son, killer of Goliath, companion of King Saul, warrior, king—a man who loved God passionately, a man who committed the most heinous sins yet turned to God in repentance and received forgiveness, a man who poured out his heart as he wrote many of the psalms that grace the pages of our Bibles.  He had the ability to assign words to his thoughts and feelings that would endure for thousands of years, remaining as relevant to our lives today as they were when he penned them.

I was pondering how I could adequately describe David’s writing talent—how could I put into words his ability to communicate the thoughts, feelings and emotions that can often be so hard to express?  I asked the LORD, and immediately as Simon and Garfunkel’s song, Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water, began playing in my mind I realized I could come up with no better description.

More times than I can count, in the midst of my despair, I have turned to David’s words for comfort.  And, also more times that I can count, when my own words have seemed inadequate to express the majesty of God and His creation, David once again so clearly illustrated my heart.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.  Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6

God’s Preserves

An abundance of blackberry vines grew wild and, as Mom was fixing dinner, we’d often run outside and pick enough so she could put together a quick cobbler for dessert.  And my Dad—oh, he was the king of the blackberry pickers.  Give him some buckets and some loaded vines and he’d fill them up in nothing flat while we “helped,” eating as many as we were picking.  Then the kitchen would smell delicious for days as my mother canned enough blackberry preserves to last until the following year.

One day as I was reading my Bible, a verse popped out as never before, Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!  For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person (Psalm 31:23)Before I’d always visualized the Lord throwing out a life preserver to save me, but now I realized that He was turning me into fruit-of-the-Spirit preserves; and I prayed that my life would become as flavorful as those wonderful blackberries of years ago.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

He shall abide before God forever.  Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! Psalm 61:7)