The Leak of Faith...

Psalm 74

"1 Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed-- Mount Zion, where you dwelt. 3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. 4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. 5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. 6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. 7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. 8 They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. 9 We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. 10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? 11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. 13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. 16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name. 19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. 23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually."

I love verses 13-17 that are reminders of miracles God has done in the past. Sometimes I find myself having a prayer time where I know I am praying but not really believing in my heart. It is then that I also have to take David's approach and stir up my faith by confessing who God is and the incredible things He has done in my life. Other times, I will confess miracles He performed in the Bible. I can literally feel my faith muscle being built in those moments, and I feel more refreshed and optimistic about the situation after wards. The only problem is, I leak.

Yes, you read that correctly. I leak. My faith leaks throughout the day. Like a tire that continually needs to be pumped up with air. A few hours after my "glorious" prayer time, I find myself worrying how the situation is going to work out again. Even if it is only a mere few moments in bathroom or the car, asking for God to help my faith and renew my trust in Him - it helps for me to stay "pumped up" throughout the day. Otherwise, I find myself laying my head down at night not being able to shut off my mind.

I don't commune with God throughout the day because I want to be super spiritual, I commune with him constantly because if I don't I am nothing but a flat tire. The confessions of who God is and what He has done help me to stay firm and steady. Just like a bike being taken for a ride, when the pressure is put on me I am able to handle it because I have continually been patching my leaks and staying filled up.