Liked, Disliked, Ehhh

Most people have a distribution of friends and acquaintances that might look something like this – Out of 100 people:

10 – Like you

80 – are “Ehhh” towards you (don’t particularly like or dislike you)

10 – Dislike you

If you are very fortunate the numbers might look more like this:

40 – Like you

30 – Ehhh

30 – Dislike you (yes, well-liked individuals tend to have more who also disfavor them)

If you are very, very fortunate the numbers might even look like this:

60 – Like you

10 – Ehhh

30 – Dislike

But, imagine for a moment how it might feel if your numbers looked like this:

10 – Like

10 – Ehhh

80 – Dislike

This might have been where King David was when he wrote Psalm 13:

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

David is not depressed, but he is disturbed.  David is not despondent, but he is feeling the pain of rejection, of feeling oppression, of facing resistance, and feeling the pressure of enemies that want to see him destroyed.

David is fighting the good fight, but he feels somewhat isolated, alone, and he needs God to come to his aid.

There are going to be times when our numbers are not good.  And, there are going to be times when even the numbers don’t tell the whole story.  You may have 10,000 friends, but if they are never around, or never available, or don’t have time for you, then you don’t have a lot, do you?

And then there are times when there is really nothing wrong with the relationships in your life, but from your view you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.  It all looks dark, with very little upside.  In fact, this may not be reality, but to you ‘it is real’.  After all, what we experience, and how we feel is very subjective and different for each individual.  One individual may feel blessed getting a new car, while another may feel just as blessed getting good bread to eat, and clean water to drink.

For those facing these dark places I have a suggestion for you:

Take time and read the first 10 chapters of Psalms.  In these few verses you will find you are not alone.  In these few verses you will find a man who poured his heart out in writing and in prayer to His God.  In these few verses you will find a man who faced unbearable adversity, enemies, those who desire him harm, and even problems from his own sin.

But, in each passage you will also see the thread of hope, of faith, of reaching out to the Creator.  He may be weak, and he may only have a few breaths left, but with the little strength he has left he reaches out to the Creator in praise, and petition.  He acknowledges his dependence on Him.

Here’s the challenge.  I’m going to make this real simple.  I want you to read again the first 10 chapters of Psalms, but I won’t press you to do it if you don’t want to.  Read Chapter 1, and then if you want to quit you can.  If not, then read Chapter 2.  If you’ve had enough then you can quit.  I have a strong feeling you will want to continue, for this is not the writing of an ordinary man.  This is the writing of the man God called, “a man after my own heart”.