psalm 17 - a beautiful and honest prayer - 14th week tuesday

In our life, there were probably occasions when we were accused wrongly or suspected of wrong doing that have no truth at all in them.  Ginbutang-butangan ikaw, ginsuspetsahan, ginhimo-himo-an istorya nga wala gid sing kamatuoran.  Probably there was also a time in our lives when our suggestions and arguments were set aside and ignored even though you were right.  Probably there was an occasion nga nasal-an ikaw and then gintsismis, naglapta na ang istorya nga indi na mabawi ukon ma-correct.  And probably because of the biases of people bisan indi pa imo sala ikaw pirme ang nasal-an kag nakita.

These are real occasions and real situations.  And in almost all these we come out hurt, we feel victimized, we feel unjustly treated, and though how much we want to redress it, we always feel powerless and we come out defeated and even devastated.

These were the feelings of David when he composed the psalm, psalm 17.  He volunteered to face the gigantic Goliath for the sake of the king and the whole nation at great risk to himself, but when Goliath was defeated, a thankful king suddenly became envious and pursued David relentlessly as if he was the enemy.

Here in psalm 17 we see the other side of David, no longer a brave and resolute man who killed Goliath but a man with all his vulnerabilities and fears talking to God, trying to prove his innocence, pleading for God's help and protection.  
What can we learn from this prayer?

First, in this prayer of David we have come face to face with our vindicator, a God who knows our true selves, a God who sees our hearts, our intentions, our real actions.  In this imperfect world now made worst because of fake news, we will be accused wrongly, stories with absolutely no truth in them would be hurled against us, we will be judged wrongly, people will look down on us based on a wrong judgment or even a mistaken identity, people will destroy our good name, they can do whatever they want – but we know we have a vindicator, we have a just judge, and that the truth pronounced by the lips of God will eventually vindicate us, and justice shall be served.  Because David knew that he has a vindicator God, he never sought revenge to the king, to Saul.  "I will not lay a hand on God's anointed", he would say, even when he was being persecuted by the same king.  Sang una nagapangakig man ko kon himuhomu-an ako istorya but as you relate more and more with God, you feel assured that all things will come to pass and the truth will eventually overtake the lies other people tell about us, and vindicate us. 

This is also a warning to people and to us who peddle lies and biases to destroy and put down others. 

Another lesson we can learn from the psalm is the honesty of David even to the point of accepting his vulnerabilities before God.  Before God there is no need to pretend what you are not.  Here is a brave man, David, here is someone who can face an army of thousands and yet before God he is reduced to tears, acknowledging his fears, begging God in utter weakness.  
When you pray, be honest.  Tell God what you really feel even if these feelings would somehow offend God.  Sometimes when I pray I tell God that I doubt if he really exists, nga kon kaisa my priesthood has no meaning and no purpose, that my whole life was spent on talking, talking, talking without really doing something concretely good in this world.  
God knows what is in our hearts, and acknowledging these things, these feelings mean that God is real for you and me.  I may come out in prayer without real answers but nevertheless by saying what I feel before God, I am giving my faith another chance each time.  It is a life lived one day at a time trying to make out what God's purpose is for me and for all of us.

Psalm 17 – a beautiful and honest prayer.  It is a real prayer, said by a real person, to a real God.