February 22 - Kill Me Now Lord

 Read today’s texts first: Numbers 10-11; Psalm 27; Mark 1

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Lord, if I ever say ‘kill me now’
please don’t take me seriously!” 

Moses is a funny guy, I’ll give him that.  He could be as sarcastic in his complaints to God as the people were with him: Moses said to God, “Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me? Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, ‘Give us meat; we want meat.’ I can’t do this by myself – it’s too much, all these people. If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I’ve seen enough; I've had enough. Let me out of here” (11:11-15 MSG).  God not only humored Moses during these rants (they were pretty funny!), He referred to him as a friend, one He was willing to talk to in person, “mouth to mouth” (12:8).

David, “a man after God’s own heart,” had the same kind of open and honest relationship with his Lord.  In today’s psalm he is again complaining about his enemies and their false accusations.  But as usual he comes around to acknowledging God’s goodness and his own determination to wait for the Lord (13,14).

However, in the Mark 1 reading, Jesus seems to be much further along in His relationship with the Father.  Here we see Him slipping away quietly before dawn to pray (35).  We don’t know how or what He prayed, but I doubt it would have the same level of desperation (and sarcasm) you hear from Moses or David.  Jesus faced the same kinds of problems with His disciples as they did with their subordinates, but those quiet times away with the Father seem to keep Him on a more even keel.  Nowhere did He ask for God to kill Him, but when that later became a possibility He quietly prayed “not my will, but Thine be done.”

“Lord, I need that kind of quiet, calm resignation to Your will to characterize my prayer life.  But in the mean time, thank You for Your patience when I complain like Moses and for a lot fewer reasons.  And if I ever say ‘kill me now’ please don’t take me seriously!”