God is not afraid of your mess
Listen to the podcast episode here or read below.
As a kid you could not get me to sit still.
I was always moving.
But something about the Psalms slowed me down.
When the Psalms were being read during church I would sit up straight and pay attention, almost as if someone had turned on cartoons.
My mom might say otherwise, but I want to believe this is true.
There is something different about the Psalms.
They are punk-rock and honest and hopeful and beautiful.
Sure, all the names of cities confused me and still do, but you can hear the heart and spirit behind the words of the writer.
King David, the guy who wrote most of the Psalms, was for a lack of better words, messed up.
Yet, his honesty and relationship with God invites us to slow down and bring forward our full selves to God.
We tend to glorify the characters of the Bible, but most of them were just like us. The only difference is their stories were documented in the most famous book of all time.
They were people who were created and loved by God.
People who searched for meaning and purpose.
People who wrestled with right and wrong; fear and love.
People who struggled to know if they were hungry or bored or both or neither.
Every Psalm is different, but each one seems to point to the Creator.
I’m no theologian or Biblical scholar.
In the past I have tried to be a theologian and Biblical scholar, but I wasn’t very good at it. Most of my intellectual insights can be boiled down to these three words:
I like this.
What I like most about the Psalms is how raw each line is.
The pages drip with authenticity.
David wasn’t trying to gain social media followers, go viral on Facebook, get a book deal, or make himself look good. No, he was simply being honest and present with God.
No games.
No gimmicks.
Just honesty.
When you read these ancient words you can feel the weight of the war inside of the writer.
At the same time, depending on what you’re reading, you can also hear how genuine and hopeful he is.
David has experienced and caused death.
He has experienced and given forgiveness.
He has experienced and created pain.
He has gone through it and continues to face the uphill battle of uncertainty.
Honestly, It sounds like he would have understood the last two years of our lives.
I returned to the Psalms during the Pandemic.
Something about them has helped me feel seen and understood.
David has given me words to pray and meditate on.
Here are a few:
Psalm 62:8 “Trust in Him at all times, O People; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing Spirit.”
Psalm 26:3 “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and i walk in your faithfulness.”
Psalm 143:1 “Hear my prayer; O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!”
The Psalms tell me I can be honest with God and God will still love me.
These beautiful words remind me that God is not afraid of our mess.
He isn’t.
God invites us to bring all of us to all of Him.
No matter what I say or the mess I have made He will still hear me.
He will still be with me.
He will still be God and I will still be His.
There is nothing I can do to earn God’s love and what a gift that is.
His love continues to invite me to be the me He created me to be and to be who He created me to be in Him.
He wants our honest prayers.
He can handle them.
He can handle you.
God is not afraid of your mess.
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About
Tanner Olson is an author, poet, speaker, and podcaster living in Nashville, Tennessee.
He is the author of I’m All Over the Place, As You Go, Walk A Little Slower, and Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.
You can find Tanner Olson’s books on Amazon.
His podcast is The Walk A Little Slower Podcast with Tanner Olson and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.
Tanner Olson travels around the country sharing poetry, telling stories, and delivering messages of hope.
You can follow Tanner Olson on Instagram (@writtentospeak) and Facebook where you’ll daily find encouraging words of faith and hope.
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