Poured Out Before Him

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge."
(Psalm 62:5-8, The New Living Translation)

Pour out your heart to God.
King David encouraged the people of God in this often.
Perhaps this is one reason God called David a man after His own heart.

To pour out our hearts before Him indicates great trust. It is the expression of an intimate relationship. "David viewed his heart as a pitcher, and he poured everything in it on his God, whether it was joy or sadness, bitterness or fear. David not only poured out his heart as a personal practice; he urged others to do the same" (Beth Moore).

The Hebrew word for 'pour out' is shapak (shaw-fak'). One of its meanings, besides the obvious, is to intensively sprawl out.

Intensively SPRAWL out.
Whoa! Now that's a picture.
A very accurate picture.

It is almost difficult to place the image of sprawling with the image of a holy, majestic God, isn't it? Maybe that is because sometimes in our ugliness we prefer to keep Him confined to the heavenlies. It is easier to negate the intimacy that the blood of Jesus affords when life becomes too difficult. The walls go up. The arms get crossed to guard the heart and that ol' stiff neck shows its ugly self. Right? Sometimes we prefer to wallow in our pain rather than pour it out as an offering before the Lord.

But God WANTS us to pour out our hearts to Him. He delights in the measure of trust this requires. I find it interesting that before David made this statement about bearing our souls - pouring out our heart - he proclaimed the goodness of God. David declared Who God was in the midst of his enemies. He knew the One in whom he had believed.

"My hope is in Him."
"He alone is my rock and my salvation."
"He is my fortress."
"God is the reason I have victory and honor."
"He is my refuge. No enemy can reach me."

Then David encouraged us to INTENSIVELY sprawl out before our Lord, bearing all, pouring out the pitcher of our hearts until the tantrum relinquishes itself to the sweet sounds of prayerful whispers.

Then you can rest like a newborn child in the arms of your Heavenly Father.

Father God, Thank You so much for the example David gives us. We desire an honest, intimate relationship with You like him. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that allows us to approach You. Thank You for the robe of righteousness that clothes our nakedness before You. You are an awesome God. We love you.