Speak Up and Enunciate!

             The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare. (Psalm 25:14-15)

                A person can walk into a bank, get nodded at by the security guard and greeted by the tellers but not really make much of an impression. If the same person draws a gun and starts shouting orders, everyone will start paying attention. In the same way, it seems that when God “speaks” in a casual, relaxed tone, we don’t notice. If He makes it dramatic and forceful, people notice, and usually complain and turn away from Him. Who wants to be around a bully?

                But we tend to think of God as a bully. According to the definition, a bully is  a “one who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller, or in some way vulnerable.” (BULLY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster) We might not be willing to say that in so many words, but He’s omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He knows everything, is everywhere, and is all-powerful, so if we don’t do what He says, things won’t go well for us, and nothing we do can stop Him. That may not be our only perspective, but it’s there. We might say that  “bully” is an exaggeration, but we expect Him to be “large and in charge.” In the second part of the verse, we have an example of this. The psalmist tells us that only God will (or can?) release his feet from the snare. It is loving and compassionate to release someone or something from a snare, but there’s also a feeling that if we don’t keep our eyes on the Lord, He won’t release our feet from a snare.

                But as I’ve already noted, that’s not the only perception we have of God. Another that we hold is that God is gentle, loving, and willing to forgive. Sometimes, we hold these at the same time, always in tension with one another. It shouldn’t surprise us, then, if God speaks so softly that we don’t hear Him. He confides in those who fear Him, not in the sense of His being a bully, but in the sense of respecting Him enough to listen so He doesn’t have to raise His “voice” or be pushy.

                I tend to want God to speak more loudly – not to shout, but at least to speak up and enunciate! I’m busy and easily distracted. I lack patience to just stand and wait. Me…me…me…my wants…accommodate me. I suspect He doesn’t speak up to teach me patience, discipline, and humility. It’s not all about me and my wants.