Seeking God’s Presence

You said if I cleaned my room, did all my homework, and fed the dog, we could do something special.” Youngsters asking favors of parents often start their pleading with such logic. They go on and on, telling the parent how well they’ve fulfilled the requirements for the granting of the favor. Most of us have been on both sides of this negotiation, either as the one pleading the case or as the judge who must be convinced.
The psalmist’s approach to God reminds me of such conversations. Wanting God to save him from his enemies, he tells God how righteous he’s been, how he’s resisted temptations like associating with evildoers. Next, he progresses to “God, are you listening? I have something to ask you.” The psalmist believes that God in God’s steadfast love will save him. He has remained true to the covenant; he has kept the faith and lived righteously. God will answer prayer. But it seems to me that while he’s confident of God’s support, he seems unsure that God’s answer will be to his liking.
How often have we pleaded our case before God, noting our long list of good behaviors that would surely warrant God’s intervention on our behalf? Our prayers often contain too much talking and not enough listening. We overstate our case. We know God is aware of our behavior—the good and the bad. We know God judges, but we forget that God also forgives.
Like the psalmist, we affirm that God answers prayer. “I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words.” We, like the psalmist, have experienced the steadfast love of God in other times and other places. God will incline God’s ear and hear.