I Beg of You
I have an old dog, Jimmy Page. For short, just Jimmy; he is a mutt and a pretty good companion. I suppose it is true of all domestic dogs: he is good at begging. When he wants out into his yard he stands by the door, and I know just what he wants. When he thinks it is time for his meal, he lets me know in no uncertain whines. He senses his need, and he communicates it as a matter of desperation.
People can beg too, of course. Perceiving a need, and a source for fulfilling that need, we make our requests, and sometimes we implore with great fervor. The Psalms show us instances of begging help from God. Such a prayer speaks strongly of trust in God as the ultimate source of aid. It also reveals a void we need God to fill. A power higher than the self is sought out, and we beg for help.
We will take upon our lips this Sunday fervent supplication in the psalm. The speaker is in great distress, imploring God to intervene on his behalf. There is that sense of trust, and sense of need conveyed. In short, Psalm 27 gives the message, “God, I need your help; only you can provide it!” Here are a few of the verses.
Psalm 27
10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face."
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.
18 O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the Lord.
As you can see, the final verse turns from addressing God to addressing fellow believers. It is a message about patient waiting. This kind of waiting is the heart of hope. It is a confidence in God’s strength and God’s heart to save us. The Faithful One is reliable and loving beyond our comprehension.
This confidence also gives us the heart to reach out to God, to beg for help. I wonder if our faith is in any way too refined, tame, and cerebral. Do we ever pray right from the gut? Do we look deep within for our most profound hopes, crying them out to the Eternal One? Do we unload our deepest internal fears to the Almighty? Prayer is a process for coming to know ourselves. Evagrius Ponticus and other Early Church guides taught that self-knowledge is the path for knowing God. We derived our being from the One who is Being, and the Source of all being.
My old dog Jimmy communicates in the mode of begging. He knows his need, and he knows I am good for supplying him with access to the yard or a bowl of kibble or water. (As I write this, Jimmy is begging to come back in from the yard.) I want to learn from the psalms to beg the Holy One’s mercy and action. To cry out, means I have searched my needs; it means I trust God for fulfillment. Let our Lenten prayer include something like, “Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me. You speak in my heart and say, ‘Seek my face.’ Your face, Lord, will I seek.” Pray it from the gut! Feel it and pray it.