Is denial always a bad thing?

In this reflection on Psalm 39, John Ortberg explores one of the Bible's strangest prayers:
"Look away from me."

Why would anyone pray that?

Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard, Søren Kierkegaard, and Greg Ten Elshof, John explains the surprising difference between healthy denial and unhealthy denial, and why God often reveals truth gradually rather than all at once.

This episode explores:
- Psalm 39 and radical honesty
- Why Job, Peter, and Jonah wanted distance from God
- Healthy vs. unhealthy denial
- Self-deception and procrastination
- Why Jesus said, "You cannot bear it now"
- The grace of gradual transformation

Scriptures:
- Psalm 39
- Job 7
- Luke 5
- Jonah 1
- John 16

#psalm39 #JohnOrtberg #DallasWillard #SelfDeception #Prayer #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Truth #Healing

📚 Today's Resources:
Gregg A. Ten Elshof, I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life
Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

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00:00 One of the Strangest Prayers in the Bible
00:33 Why We Need Denial
00:59 Psalm 39 Begins
01:22 Silence Isn't the Goal
02:12 "Look Away From Me"
02:51 Job's Similar Prayer
03:40 Peter & Jonah Run From God
04:29 How Self-Deception Works
05:08 "I'll Deal With It Later"
05:35 Kierkegaard on Denial
06:13 "You Cannot Bear It Now"
06:58 Dallas Willard on Healthy Denial
08:05 "You Can't Handle the Truth"
08:50 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Denial
10:30 Are You Ready to See?
11:16 God Reveals Truth With Love
11:57 Denial Is an Emergency Brake