Where do you turn when the good, bad, or ugly happens in your life?
Maybe you celebrate with a friend that you got that promotion over drinks?
Maybe you vent to your cat about how unfair life can be?
Maybe you post on social media looking for reassurance and confirmation bias that your position is the "right" one?
Maybe you run to alcohol, drugs, or the like?
But the sad reality is we tend to run to the wrong things. Maybe we turn on the TV and listen to an inspiring televangelists and feel good for a moment. But it's like eating something really bad for you. It feels good right then but later that night your stomach is not happy with you. We consume so many things looking for happiness, pleasure, and meaning but in the words of Rolling Stones, "we can't get no satisfaction"
Psalm 74
This Psalm is inscribed by Asaph which Bible scholars believe was a "seer", a friend of David, and a man from the tribe of Levi. He would lead the singing and so we can view his words as a general cry of the people group of the time.
How life is "suppose to go"
General wisdom of the day and wisdom that many of us assume to be true today is
Good actions--- Good people---- Good life
Bad actions---- Bad people---- Bad life.
We assume, we are conditioned, we are taught, that if there is a bad action that there must be a consequence. This can happen right now or in the "age to come."
But the wisdom literature found in the Bible does not agree with this reality. Ask Job how "fair" life is. Ask the writer of Ecclesiates (maybe Solomon) if there is any meaning to life. Ask any Jew if life is fair in light of the Holocaust. Or maybe ask Jesus is he receive just treatment going to the cross?
I could go on and on. Is it fair that many children in the world go hungry? Is it fair that young women get sold into sex slavery? Of course not.
What is fair?
A common theme throughout the Psalms is wondering why the wicked prosper.
"For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don't have troubles like other people; they're not plagued with problems like everyone else."- (Psalm 73:3-5)
Of course everyone has issues but here the Psalmist is jealous because it appears that someone that ISNT following God is having a better life than him.
Hopelessness
"Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain"- (Psalm 73:13-14)
Have you ever gotten to the point of hopelessness. What is the point? Things will never change. Things will never get better.
Judgement
This hopelessness can lead to evil thoughts.
"Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff of destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning."- Psalm 73:18-20
So what?
Unfortunately, this is where many of us end the story. We get to a point of hopelessness and judgement and there is no turning back. We divide people into groups. Saying these are the good people while THEY are the bad people.
We go to work, eat dinner, go to bed and repeat. We lose hope. We lose vision. And life has no purpose.
But......
What if we confessed?
Ya, I said it..... Maybe we are lying to ourselves. Maybe we have unrealistic expectations of current events that they blind our minds to the work of the Holy Spirit on this earth.
And to be honest, Im somewhere on this journey, depending on the day. I get upset because things haven't gone my way (personally) and I see so much injustice. How could God let someone like Trump be our president? I know God doesn't pick presidents, we do! But still..... why let a wicked person prosper?
Maybe you don't do things on a national level but something happens in your life and you cry out..."God WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THIS from happening?" Don't you care?
But..... when we pray these prayers we are acting as if we are God. And you aren't and I am not. And thank goodness for that! Right?
Let's finish the Psalm
"Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant--- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. "- Psalm 73:21-25
I love this prayer/song to God. He confessed that he was bitter in how he treated others but still remembered that he belongs to God. This is important that as we confessed our actions and perceptions of the world over to God that in the end we BELONG. We are his children. Just because we haven't gotten it yet does not mean we are not included at the dinner table.
He holds our hand and helps us walk on the right path.
Let's continue....
"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."- Psalm 73:26-28
Life sucks?
Sometimes. Sometimes life sucks because we are stupid or because of the nature of free will. We read that even our health may fail (which we hate to think about as humans) but God remains the strength of our heart.
A simple solution
1) Don't be bitter when things don't go your way.
2) Remember you belong to God.
3) Remember God is with you.
My son is almost 2 (his birthday is in April). He in our little explorer. There are moments when he just needs to run around and have freedom but there are other times when I need to hold his hand or carry him depending on where we are.
Do you know that God is the perfect father/mother. He protects us. There are times when Neil loves to hold my hand but there are times when he would rather be free. I know (or at least I think I do) when he can roam freely and when it would be better for me to hold his hand/carry him.
I think God is similar to that.
But do we trust Him? Do we trust Him when life is good? Do we draw near to God when life is bad or even ugly?
This is a journey and it looks differently for everyone but I just want to challenge you to spend time in the presence of God. Spend time worshipping him with music and through reading the Bible. But also throughout the day.
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