Joey Turner
I'm Not Superman?

When I was growing up there was nothing better than watching Superman. He was indestructible. He would take on bullets, leap tall buildings with no problem, and defeat the bad guys with his x-ray vision. He was the man! Nothing hurt him, well, nothing, but kryptonite. However, Superman always won. He always got the "V". He never lost a battle. Ever thought you were Superman? I have, until I looked into the mirror and realized that an indestructible man was not looking back at me.
In Psalm 6, David was wondering if he was going to win his battle. He did not want to be rebuked and he was very low in his life. Here is what he said, “O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?”
Not only does David ask for God not to rebuke him, but he also admits he is very weak. Wow, not too many of us will say that. We always cover up that fact when we are hurting inside. We do not want others to know there is a weakness or flaw in our tough exterior. This is especially true of us guys. We hold our feelings in because remember we think we are “Superman”. No one is supposed to know that we struggle on the inside. We don’t have kryptonite in our lives. Nothing can stop us, right?
I am so far from Superman. Even last evening I lost my temper and I said some things and I realized what I said was wrong. I immediately had to stop and ask for forgiveness. Several years ago I would have held my ground and said someone deserved what I had said to them. You know I may wear the shirt with the Superman logo, but I am nowhere close. Wow, I am a mess!
I have to remember what David continued to say in Psalm 6, “Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave? I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.” David was a mess in these verses. He knew he was nowhere near a Superman status. He sobbed a deep heart felt cry and was walking through a valley of grief. David ’s son was still trying to kill him. It was definitely a hard and dark moment in his life.
However, through all of his grief and tears he remembered something, God’s unfailing love. Today. I do not know what you are facing in your life, but I do know whatever it is, He loves you. I can hear some of you saying, “But Joey you do not know how much of a mess I am…”. Oh, but I do. There has been a common theme through my blogs and it has been about me. I am a mess. I understand messy. So, from one messed up person to another, yes I do know where you are coming from.
David was at a place in his life where he thought he could not continue going on. However, he finished Psalm 6 by saying, “Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.”
When reading this passage one of David’s statements jumped out at me, “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.” You know I can’t be Superman, but I do serve a Savior who is SUPER. Do you need the Lord to hear your plea today? There are things in my life which I need for Him to hear. I need to be a better husband. I need to be a better Dad. I need to help people more, but really I just need to be close to my Heavenly Father. My Savior heard David, He is listening out for me and He is leaning in to hear you today. Will you speak to Him?
As I sit here and write this blog there are several songs which come to mind:
I need thee every hour Most gracious Lord No tender voice like thine Can peace afford
I need thee oh I need thee Every hour I need thee Oh bless me now my Savior I come to thee
And…
Jesus we love you
Oh how we love you
You are the one our hearts adore
I just looked under my shirt and guess what? There is no Superman cape. I am not indestructible and yes, I hurt, I weep, and I am needy. Let’s quit thinking we are Superman and realize that we are in need of His strength. I think I am going to cry out to Him today, how about you?