Psalm 73: A Psalm for Today

 

Psalm 73:6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. (NIV)

If you’ve never read Psalm 73 in its entirety, then I recommend that you do so. It relates the experience of a faithful worshipper who is driven to despair because of the threats, arrogance, and violence of the wicked. He has served God all of His life, so he expects things to be fair and just. All around him, however, powerful people are using their positions of authority to suppress the faithful; they are callous and hard-hearted; they do not care about those beneath them and they publicly proclaim their brazen and haughty ways.

 

            This causes the psalmist to question his faith in God. If so many unrepentant people are permitted to control the community, then why doesn’t God do something about it? Have the wicked won and the violent been given victory? Is there any point in believing in goodness or seeking justice? Have the scoffers manipulated the people with their malice? Have the thugs cowered the community into silence because of their threats? Those are the questions that the psalmist ponders and makes him wonder if God has lost control.

 

            I guess we all know those feelings and have asked very similar questions. Those who resort to violence and make threats against their opponents, who are unrepentant and seek to subdue others with iron fists and loaded rifles seem to have gained the upper hand. They even use Christ and faith to justify their hostile and antagonistic ways. Anyone who opposes them is deemed less than human; every one who does not follow their ways becomes a target. This, however, is inhumane and the complete opposite of what Christ called His followers to apply and live by each day. His personal command for Christians to love God by loving one another is ignored by the wicked and is replaced with ‘God takes care of those who take care of themselves.’

 

            Toward the end of Psalm 73, the psalmist realizes that those who are hateful, violent, and wicked will eventually destroy themselves. God will judge them for every careless and callous word and they will be condemned for their wickedness. As the psalmist states in verse eighteen: Surely you (God) place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

 

            The psalmist’s faith has returned to him after wrestling with God and these questions. He understands that God sees, hears, and knows everything, so there will be no defense for those who persist in being callous, hostile, and wicked. Their violence will their own undoing; their faithlessness will condemn them forever. Psalm 73 closes with these grave words:

 

27-28Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

 

May God help and guide us to understand His ways and lead us away from self-righteous and uncompassionate words and deeds. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

If you would like to read all of Psalm 73, here is a link: Psalm 73

Human Nature - Matthew 26:38

Matthew 26:38           Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

            Being human means that we’re subject to all sorts of feelings, injuries, or troubles. When I’m in pain, physically or emotionally, I very quickly talk to God to release me from what is causing it and look to Him to heal or solve my problem. I rely upon His power and promises to mend whatever I’m experiencing, especially when it is something that is beyond my capability or control. Being human, then, also means that we need God to help us time and time again.

            When I read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His emotional turmoil, I feel deeply for Him. This is the all-too-human Jesus who is painfully aware of what He is going to face. There’s no escape, so perhaps He feels boxed in, isolated, and vulnerable. His anguish is almost unbearable and I get the feeling that He is desperately struggling to surrender Himself to God’s will. It makes me sad to read about His torment; it also makes me ashamed because my sins put Christ in that painful predicament.

            I’ll never fully understand what Jesus went through to save me and the rest of the world, but I hope that I am always grateful for what He has excruciatingly accomplished. Without Christ’s eventual surrender to God’s will, I could never be forgiven. However, with His acceptance of the cup of wrath, I can be accepted and fully restored to God’s love.

Point to ponder

What do I feel when I read about Christ in Gethsemane? How does His submission affect me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, when You struggled to accept Your Father’s will, You must have been tempted to refuse it and run away. Instead of remaining safe, You sacrificed everything for us. We can never truly understand what You experienced that terrible night, but we will always be thankful for its everlasting outcome. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s Holy Week drawings called ‘Star of Gethsemane.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Star.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org. Come by and see us anytime. J

God's Great Sense of Humor

Sometimes God answers our prayers in completely unexpected and humorous ways.

Podcast version here

Ezekiel 30:30 Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD.

My eldest daughter was traveling from Roanoke to Cincinnati this morning for a business conference. Even although she is twenty one, I always pray for her safety whilst flying. I woke up early this morning and prayed exclusively for her, asking God to take care of her and get her to the conference safely.

It’s funny how God answers prayers. When she got to the check in line this morning, they couldn’t match her ticket. The conference was really important and she burst into tears. She didn’t know what to do and, being a single female traveling alone, she had no one to help, or at least that’s what she thought.

Behind her in the line were sixteen professional wrestlers, who were also traveling to Cincinnati. These burly guys took control of the situation and managed to get everything sorted out for my daughter. They looked after her all the way through to the last airport, so she arrived safely and in time. I couldn’t have asked for a bigger or better company of angels to escort her across the country. God works in mysterious ways and has a great sense of humor!

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, thank You for the many ways that You answer our prayers every day. We sometimes take Your blessings for granted and forget to thank You. Grant us grateful hearts and help us to cheerfully express our devoted thanks to You. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.