Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June 1/61

Contributor - A. Opmeer

Title - My Times Are In Your Hands

Topic - Meditation

(Read Psalm 31)

Those of you who have crossed the ocean by boat may have experienced its many moods, all the way from a sunny smile to an angry face of wild running waves.

Life is much like an ocean. It can be peaceful and quiet, rolling along under a sunny sky to an unclouded horizon. Those are the days when life seems good, when faith lies secure in the arms of a smiling God. But when, suddenly, heavy clouds rush upon the sky, and an angry storm wind drives the waves up into towering mountains of foaming fury; then the powers of hell itself seem to have been released, and life is shaken to its very foundations. Those are the days of testing, when faith is shaken out of its sleepy security and thrown into the dark waters of fear and doubt.

For many people the end God's smile is also the end of their faith. As soon as the clouds of sorrow or disappointment hide the face of God, they can no longer believe because they never had a real relationship with God. Their faith is only a fancy, a dream which ends when they wake up to the harsh realities of life. They mistake prosperity for the smile of God, and security for his love. No wonder they have nothing left when these are taken away.

Others cannot understand how a loving heavenly Father could allow such evils to fall upon them. They always thought that God would keep his children from all harm. Now that this dream has been shattered they have to look for another explanation of life. They still believe in God; but there must be another power, an evil one, which every now and then is allowed to take for a while. And so they resign to Fate, cruel, unpredictable Fate. What a pity, if faith can do no more than that!

Happy is the man whose faith is like that of the writer of Psalm 31. From his prayer we gather that he had been sick for a long time. His friends had forsaken him, because they explained his suffering as God's punishment for some secret sin. And there were even rumors of a plot to take his life. But the psalmist knew where to go with his troubles. "In thee, 0 Lord, do I seek refuge", he said, "yea, thou art my rock and my fortress".

Notice how this child of God began his prayer. Not with a long list of complaints and requests, but with an affirmation of his faith and trust in the rock of his salvation. It was only after this expression of security that he poured out his soul before the throne of God. And even then the stream of complaints was soon cut off. A new thought broke through, like the sunlight after a thunderstorm: "But I trust in thee, 0 Lord, I say, 'Thou art my God'. My times are in thy hand."

One of our hymns encourages us to "take it to the Lord in prayer" when trouble strikes. But how can we expect to find God in times of need, when we never bother to look him up when all is well? Too many prayers are nothing but a quick SOS. signal for speedy relief, without a real contact with the Rock of Ages which towers above every storm. And then we wonder why God does not hear us! The secret of the psalmist, as indeed of all the great men of faith, was that he lived with God, through days of sunshine as well as during the darkest night. When he was in trouble he simply told God about it, but not without affirming his complete trust in God's goodness and power.

"I trust in thee, 0 Lord, my times are in thy hand" the psalmist prayed from the depth of his soul. And suddenly the darkness began to disappear, and a song of joy was born. For he remembered God's goodness upon him in times past. "O, how abundant is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee. Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me in times of distress".

Yes, is we are really children of the Most High God, then we shall be able to sing with the psalmist, "My times are in thy hand, 0 Lord". For where could we be safer than in the hand of him who not only created us, but also redeemed us, and still cares for us from day to day. The storms of life will not always pass us by, they may even knock down the walls which we have built so securily around us. But our help will come from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

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