Psalm 31 - Can we say "pressure"?

 

Anybody recognize that device up there? 

You might need to be as old as me; if you're almost as old as dirt, you will say, "Sure, that's a pressure cooker!"

Pressure cookers are all the rage right now - they're just called different things, and they look a good bit different. You know, Instant Pots, and all those cute things like that.

The concept, though, is the same. It's a way to cook food more quickly! The older ones (like that treasured 1920's model that my grandma used to use, and the pressure gauge and seals all still work!) sat on the back burner of the stove, and once sealed, the "regulator" would rock back and forth with a neat hissing noise, and the food (or canned goods) inside would be processed. 

Nowadays, they are much smaller; they are digital and don't even need to be on the stove - they have their own heating coils and cook merrily on their own, on our countertops.

Back to my old National cooker . . . the regulator performed an important function. It wasn't just for looks or to make the cool noise. (Grin) You see, once you put the lid on, you would grab those wooden handles and turn until they match the position of the wood on the bottom of the pot. Now that you've locked it down, take a peek at the top.....see that little pipe there? That's a vent. You put the regulator on tope of it. Once the pressure cooker is on the burner and begins to heat, it will also begin to build up pressure. The regulator will rock slowly - some people call it the "jiggler" for this reason. Between that pressure dial and the jiggler, a cook can keep the pressure steady and bank on the correct cooking time. 

Yes, the Instant Pot is way simpler. But there's a distinct feeling of accomplishment in mastering an old-timey pressure cooker!

So.....the regulator controls the pressure; it helps to prevent excess steam from escaping, and helps keep the cooker from boiling dry.

We've said before in our studies that if there were one word that would be most descriptive of our modern culture, it might be pressure. There's a resurgence of interest in meditation and yoga. There are oodles of books and articles on helping to reduce stress. We have anger management classes and coping classes and even diets that are supposed to help us manage the pressures of our everyday lives. Doctors write prescriptions for drugs and bartenders pour drinks.

Even believers can fall into the trap of ignoring the spiritual dangers of relying solely on these methods to cope with stress and pressure. Sure, self-help methods can be helpful in some cases, but there are so few Christians that will turn to God and take refuge in Him! I've had the experience of suggesting to someone that they trust in God while under stress, and my comments have been scorned!

In some ways, Psalm 31 is like an addendum to one we've already studied: Psalm 25. When we studied that one, we focused on the fact that sometimes we cause our own problems and issues. David mentions many of the same things in the thirty-first psalm . . . just try to imagine yourself in his sandals. A group of enemies is conspiring to kill you. They have started an extremely effective campaign of lies about you. Your name has become "mud" even among your neighbors and your former friends. It's so bad that when they see you coming, they head in the opposite direction. They don't want to be identified with you or known as one of your associates.

As a result of the lies and the loneliness, you are now struggling with depression. You're wrestling with the guilt of having caused at least some of the issues yourself, and with the guilt of how your pressure has impacted your loved ones and friends. The whole situation has taken a terrible toll on your health, so that it's hard to complete your daily tasks and your body is wasting away. Wherever you look, you seem to see terror staring back at you.

The steam is building; the pressure is rising.

We can't be positive, nail-on-the-head certain of the exact situation that lies behind Psalm 31. Maybe that's so that we can apply the lessons here to our own pressure-filled, stressful situations, no matter the causes. Whatever the circumstances, we can be sure that this psalm is not coming to us out of the ivy-covered ivory tower of a poet who was sheltered from life's pressures. It's not written by a rich person who sat down to write a self-help book and make even more money from those who aren't as blessed. This comes from a man who despaired of his life. And it gives us a guaranteed remedy for stress. David is handing us a regulator for the steam.

David's remedy for stress is to trust in his sovereign, personal Lord.

Too simple?

Too easy?

Too corny?

Naaah. It's really not. We will see this week that there's more to it than we may first think. Trusting in Him is the most practical, time-proven and experience-proven way to deal with stress.

Just like the regulator on my old cooker, this will regulate the pressure; it will keep the excess steam from harming us or others; and it will keep us from "boiling dry."

Don't listen to Satan. He'd like for us to think this is too easy to be real. Too simplistic to work. Too much like that other psalm a few weeks ago. He'd love for us to not even study this.

The Spirit, however, is whispering that we all have stress. And this study is much needed.

Hope you will join us!