Holy Audacity
Psalm 44:22-26: “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. Why do You hide Your face And forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.”
Have you ever stopped to consider how audacious the psalmist sounds in this passage? Who would dare to tell God, “Arouse Yourself, why do you sleep, O Lord?” He is basically saying to God, “Wake up, get off your bed and do something!”
It sounds like shocking irreverence and blasphemy, but it is actually what we might call holy audacity. It is holy in that it is reverent and humble, though it might not sound like it. There are many examples of it in Scripture, particularly in the psalms.
Ps. 7:6: “Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment.”
Ps. 9:19-20: “Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men.”
Ps. 74:22: “Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.”
Ps. 94:1-3: “O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult?”
Many other examples could be given. In each case, the psalmist is engaging in borderline insolence, implying that God is just sitting there, doing nothing, or even sleeping while His cause burns down around Him. And suggesting that God needs to rise up and do something to deal with the wicked and vindicate His name and help His people.
What we need to remember is that God Himself inspired the psalmists to pray this way. God put those words in the mouths of His people. This can only mean one thing: God wants us to pray to Him like this. Not in a cocky way. But in a humble recognition that God desires for us to be stirred up to pray and beseech Him with urgency and reverent boldness.
The only way we can pray like this is to believe that God desires it and is glorified by it. These are not the words of a fatalist, passively accepting whatever happens. These are the words of a man who understands what God loves and what God hates, and who prays accordingly.
As we see many injustices in our world — injustices we know God hates — we must beseech God to rise up and do something about them. As we see so little impact of the Gospel around us, we must plead with God to do something about that. When we see the wicked prospering and the righteous languishing, we should assault the throne of grace with importunate complaints. “O God, rise up. Do you see what’s happening? Do something! Act quickly for the sake of Your name and for Your people.”